FOCUS Page 3 Men drinking and singing Agwagas

The Setting: Completely natural and unstaged. The men are in a drinking house which has mud wall for coolness. 20-30 men are crowded into the small tukul in a circle drinking out of a common pot, using straws (bamboo shoots).

The Song: It is relatively easy to investigate what happens in the Anuak tribe because the events and those involved are mentioned in the songs. The Anuak do not deny or try to hid this. The shouting is bragging, calling the names of their animal. Here the bull is predominant. When they fight, they make songs against the people they are fighting and include the names of the people killed, listing them in the song. They laugh when they come to the names. This particular song dates from the Second World War.

The Text: “Ojunga killed the Gallas.” This song concerns fighting the Ethiopian police by Ojunga Ogilo. This is a song against the police, and Ojunga’s father. The police have agreed to give Ojunga flour, a goat, and chickens but he is still unsatisfied and causes trouble. The repeated strain is, “Ojunga killed the Gallas.”