Doing Chumburung songs—A taxonomy of styles Gillian Hansford ...

The women used baskets with mango leaves in to represent fish, and a circular
fishing net was occasionally employed. The men would pretend to stalk an
animal and in one case a woman mimicked an animal behind a mango branch,
and a trap was set. Each performer did his or her own thing, so it seemed as if
the dancing had no choreography. But the constant drumming on pe̱ŋteṟe̱ŋ
(which is played with drumsticks) and guroŋ (also upright and single-headed but
played with the hands) drums, and the two metal instruments also used,
ko̱kyo̱gyi (a bell) and kidekpii (a hoe blade, both struck with a metal stick), held
the event together. Each time they started a new song, someone took the lead
and then the rest joined in responsorially. One women was frequently ululating
in praise, da kakyirelee, above the noise. There were many spectators, and the
town chief was present to say how well they had done. Here are three of the 18
songs they sang repeatedly for 3 hours:
Example 16
Agye̱ŋkpɛɛpo̱ bɔ amɛɛrɔpo̱ aaa.
Those who come first are better than those
who come last.
Example 17
Mo̱ e̱ ya nya, ba mɔse̱ mo̱.
Mo̱ e̱ mo̱ŋ nya, ba saare̱ mo̱.
If I get something, they laugh at me.
If I don’t get, they insult me.
Example 18
N se̱ a bo̱ ndaŋ se̱-ɔ
Kyɛɛko̱ŋkyɛɛ gye̱ mo̱ ̀ kyaŋŋare̱
aaa.
When my father is living at the farm
A glossy backed bird is his cockerel.
Looking at the themes, surprisingly few of the songs related to being a hunter, or
to dying. The first given above (Example 16) is almost a proverb. The second
(Example 17) is a bit depressing. The third (Example 18) is delightful with its
imagery. Themes are various.
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