Trevor Wiggins Ghana Music Collection

Songs accompanied by channa played by Barbini Hoppa

  • Add a note
    Log in to add a note at the bottom of this page.
  • All notes
  • My notes
  • Hide notes
Please click to leave a note

The British Library Board acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors to this recording and the rights of those not identified.
Legal and ethical usage »

Tags (top 25):
(No tags found for this item)

What is this? Log in to add a term that describes this item and help make it easier to find.

  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    02:03:41

  • Shelf mark

    C791/6

  • Subjects

    Zithers - channa

  • Recording date

    1994-11-13

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Trevor Wiggins Ghanaian Music Collection

  • Recording locations

    Ghana, Upper West Region, Lambussie-Nandom, Hapa

  • Performers

    Hoppa, Barbini

  • Recordist

    Wiggins, Trevor

  • Abstract

    (31) N dughor ni ka neng wa n wie ha bong bina.(Is it because I have no relatives that all my affairs smell like faeces in the noses of people.) \plain Played at any time, after harvest etc; (32) Niyara beto ni suu kata ni niyara. Niyara beto.(There is no poor person, there is no poor person, unless your parents die and leave you, then you are a poor person). Played at any time for people whose parents are dead; (33) N Bombie wereko ya nakwara, longi, longi hadonbino gilo gilo Balorbine ha chorli la li chor ma n veta ne. (I Bombie, my lover is so beautiful, with round calves, and a fine head tie. If any ugly man goes up to her, I will leave her for him.) The girl is so fine, that she should not be with an ugly man. Played after harvesting for everybody to dance; (34) Hapala hampwala Hapala toperi li wii kuolu lo nira lo yag la yir para wo kan no ti weri yie li wii kuo lu nira lo yag la yir para. (Young men of Hapa, young women of Hapa, you should be united, if something comes to Hapa, we should be able to solve the problem). Played to greet/welcome a stranger to the village. When the people hear this song they know to come out of their houses to hear what the stranger has to say; (35) Belentebie ha peu nenie teleng ma sie ka be. (I have done nothing to this fuckin' man and he is pointing his finger at me. What does that mean?) Played during harvest celebrations; (36) Indughor ha keini tor me ne n cho bija waana ria, n a wanna beri, indughor ha keini tor me ne ncho bija waana ria. (Do I need life any more, I don't need any life now I'm left alone in the world, do I need life any more?) This is a very sad funeral song, about someone whose family, ie, parents, sisters and brothers, have all died - he is "left alone in the house." It would be played at the funeral ground after the dead body has been brought out from the house. Note: in many West African societies, the bonds which link a man to his father's "house" or extended family are the strongest of all social ties.

  • Description

    Songs accompanied by channa played by Barbini.

  • Related transcripts

    Read the transcript

  • Metadata record:

    View full metadata for this item