Zande youths drumming
104 x 78 mm | Print gelatin silver
Condition:
Sulphide staining + residual chemical staining marks? [EE 1989]
Date of Print:
Unknown
Previous PRM Number:
EP.A.507
Previous Other Number:
A.III 10 (96)
Accession Number:
1998.341.507.2
Description:
Two youths playing skin drums (gaza), with a wooden gong (gugu) behind, at Prince Rikita's court.
A child in the background holds the gong beater, which is also a symbolic ceremonial staff of office for the master of the feast (see 1998.341.460).
Evans-Pritchard also identifies an individual in the background (most likely wearing the straw hat) as Babu.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1927
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Western Equatoria Yambio
Group:
Zande
NamedPerson:
Babu
Notes:
Three photographs from the A.III film (exposures 6,7,8) [1998.341.521,.523 & .525] were evidently taken just before the one published (exposure 9) as Plate II in Evans-Pritchard's article "The Dance"
Africa: Journal of the International African Institute
, Vol.1, No.4 (Oct., 1928) p.456, with the caption "Part of the Crowd".
This article drew upon his first fieldwork expedition of 1927.
[Chris Morton 11/10/2005]
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Donated 1966
Other Owners:
E. E. Evans-Pritchard Collection
Class:
Music , Dance , Social Life
Keyword:
Musical Instrument Drum , Musical Instrument
Activity:
Performing , Singing , Dancing
Event:
Dance
Documentation:
Original catalogue lists in Manuscript Collections. Additional material in related documents files. [CM 27/9/2005]
Primary Documentation:
PRM Accession Records - [1966.27.21] G PROFESSOR E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST.
OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD.
OXFORD - S.
SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE.
Box of negatives in envelopes.
Nos.
1 - 400
Added Accession Book Entry - [In pencil in column] Catalogue room.
[1966.27.23] G PROFESSOR E. E. EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST. OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD. OXFORD - S. SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE. Box of prints in envelopes, nos. 1 - 400 (prints of negatives in 1966.27.21)
Manual Catalogues [typewritten, entitled "Zande Photographs (E-P)"] - 507. Beating drums and gong (Rikita's court). AIII/10 (96)
Notes on print/mount - "AIII/10 96 EPA 507 Beating drums at Rikita's Babu in background"
Notes on card mount m/s pencil - "SS upper LHS & lower LHS + RCS? marks "Beating drums at Rikitas Babu in background 8.89"
Added Accession Book Entry - [In pencil in column] Catalogue room.
[1966.27.23] G PROFESSOR E. E. EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST. OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD. OXFORD - S. SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE. Box of prints in envelopes, nos. 1 - 400 (prints of negatives in 1966.27.21)
Manual Catalogues [typewritten, entitled "Zande Photographs (E-P)"] - 507. Beating drums and gong (Rikita's court). AIII/10 (96)
Notes on print/mount - "AIII/10 96 EPA 507 Beating drums at Rikita's Babu in background"
Notes on card mount m/s pencil - "SS upper LHS & lower LHS + RCS? marks "Beating drums at Rikitas Babu in background 8.89"
Other Information:
Witchcraft Oracles and magic among the Azande, 1937:101.
E.
E.
Evans-Pritchard notes that 'Their great wooden gongs (gugu, also called borua) are Mbomu.
A smaller kind, karakara...came from beyond the Uele.
The skin drum (gaza, ndimo) is Mbomu." (Man and Woman among the Azande, 1974: 115-116) "..when I [the narrator] went through the settlements I told all the youths about the dance.
Some of them told me "we have already heard the dance-gong, that which you beat in the morning." I said to them "all right, I am most eager to dance today." ...
The master of the dance stayed away for a short time and then he came to where we were and saluted ...
He then went to the homestead of the dance and mounted the gong there.
All stopped dancing.
He spoke to them thus 'it is I, Aramasi, who am giving this dance today to lament my younger brother with it.
...
He then got down from the top of the gong.
Balingbandali mounted the gong [to beat it] and Nambaga took possession of the drums...
the dance began in full swing." Two MP3 format recordings of Zande gongs (although in the Congo instead of the Sudan) (entitled bia gaza ('drum song') are available at: http://ilam.ru.ac.za/home/moa/moa038.htm [Chris Morton 16/10/2003]
Recorder:
Christopher Morton 14/11/2003 [Southern Sudan Project]
