INSTRUMENTAL July 28, 1972 - 32B Various Peno

Recording #32B

Place of Recording: Peno

Date of Recording: July 28, 1972

Performance:

Informant: Agwa Alemo

Date of Transcript: March 17, 1973

1 000 Dancing song.

Information: Anyanyas wanted to buy bullets but found the source difficult. They went to the gold mine area to get bullets but there they were attacked by the Ethiopian right-wing soldiers. The Anyanya killed many Ethiopian and captured a machine gun which they then gave to the General Lema in Gambela. This put them in the good graces of Gambela the relationship between Gambela and the Anyanyas. Became strong. Joseph Othiel gave Lema many cows and much money. He was the governor of Gambela) this song is about the war between the Ethiopian and the Anyanyas at the gold mine. Anyanyas did not use machine guns. They were using smaller arms. The black people because of the things done in the South Sudan and with the Ethiopian government they sent a telegram to Russia and China and America from Juba. Anyanyas sent this telegram. The leader of Anyanyas was Abulla Masse, the captain. When they fought Ethiopian sent by Ningyoni to buy these arms. When the Soldiers tried to bomb Anyanyas, Anyanyas stood and ran to capture them. The policy of Anyanyas during their war, when they see the Arabs are very strong to kill many people, they run to them. So, they will fear them. Will run shooting which will cause fear in hearts of the Arabs.

Text: This is what they did with the Ethiopian government in this song. Repeating part. When Ethiopians tried to bomb the Anyanyas they ran to them. Add accompaniment. When Ethiopian government tried to defeat or colonize us, we refused because we are a government by ourselves. In the war they warned the governor of that area, he said they chased away all the people who were in that town. Ningyoni Ojulo was not mistaken but HIM was mistaken at that time. Those soldiers who fought against Anyanyas say that they were commanded by HIM to go and fight the Anyanyas. When during the war, when were about to catch each other Ethiopian soldiers ran away and we got drunk by the things they left. The meeting which is going to be done for this war was to be said without mistake. If we hear some mistake in it, we will never leave. The war will continue. Repeats. When we were about to capture each the Ethiopia government ran away and we got drunk by what they left. In last part he mentions insults of the rich people. Saying some are lame, one eye or leg or deaf. How can they compete with me to take my wife?

2 160 Marching song.

Information: Anuaks know that they are pushed in Sudan or in the south by the Arabs and the Ethiopians one thing in Khartoum. Agreement. Those who are in Sudan must be given different ID cards. Anuaks so those Anuak in Sudan have no right to come to Ethiopia and vice versa. Can’t go across the border. Agwa is sure there will be fight. There is the practice of free movement over border for the purchases of goods. There Agwa is quite sure of fights. Without accompaniment.

Text: Swore not to eat wild pig: main idea was to kill an elephant. Said when we killed an elephant our celebration will be done in a town in the Sankuru. Accompaniment added. Therefore, the same song became a dancing song. Even in this dancing part, he is singing admiring his wife in many forms and different ways. Saying we are like chewing gum, stuck together. (If he goes to drink, he goes together with his wife. When he dances, he dances with his wife. No one else. He has a strong moral policy) (When the girls make flour, shaking flour) You dance like the girls who are shaking flour. Repeating. The father of his wife was wanting to give his wife to a rich man. He is advising to not accept his wife. Repeating this part. He sang the marching song and joined this part for his wife.

3 283 Agwaga.

Information: Different singer. This song was sung when Agwa was at Peno. Peno sang because of war between Peno and Pohl. Pohl is across the river and those who were farming the other side of the river were kept from farming by the Peno people. Pohl is a very dangerous village causing war. They are antagonistic causing strife) (the revenged killed one of the evangelists he was converted by Agwa brother and became an Evangelist. When Agwa left Peno with his brother, the Evangelist became the preacher in the village. OWARO OMAN. He was killed for revenge about 2 years ago) When Anuaks hear a part where they are uneasy about, they will cough. They like war also. Many will go to war and choose sides and fight each other.

Text: Said, the war that we fought against the Pohl people we didn’t kill the pure Anuak but we killed the half caste of Nuer and Anuaks. We ignored the Pohl people many times and they didn’t realize that we have kept what they did to us. (Or we remembered). Our leader agreed to fight those who used to eat snake fish. A long fish with one only one bone, soft bone throughout. The king sons are not allowed to eat this. A person with bad eyes, when he sees a child looks on a child and will make him sick. The song says that the Peno people killed a person with the evil eye. Still claiming that they did not kill the best people in the village. They killed the son of the chief and they abused the chief of Pohl village. Saying if you join together with your husband, that is the Ethiopian government we will still revenge. Because of our ignorance many villages blame us saying we are cowards. But we’re not. He mentions the leader or the chief of Peno, saying our chief agreed to fight if you are willing to revenge. Just revenge. When we killed the son of the chief, people didn’t cry by beating the drum Because so many died in the village. They did not beat the drum (as they usually do when son of a chief is killed) they simply kept quiet. (Another meaning of that sentence, everyone is sitting lonely thinking whether he is going to be alive or not) those handsome people during dancing cannot be considered in the war field as handsome people because some of them are fear to fight or die in the field. Abusing part: difficult to translate: abusing the wife of the chief. Insulting her in a bad way. Still insulting saying all the big ladies in the village they try to curse each other in their village. They were questioning themselves, who caused this war between Peno and Pohl. When Peno people defeated Pohl, said these who did not die they ran away so Peno people started to kill dogs and chickens because people ran away from the village. Repeats.

4 674 Dancing song.

Information: Original singers with accompaniment.

Text: When they made a coup against POCHELLA Arab station in Anuak area, they said Ningyoni agreed not to attack ADONGO. But to attack POCHELLA. (Like a dancing song) You are beaten by a rich man. Saying to a girl. Because you were given by your father and not by me. To a rich man. What I can say for the rich people is to let them die so that we can take their wives. Always a rich man seems like an old man who doesn’t comb his hair and doesn’t wear good clothes. Even though he buys a comb, he buys it for nothing, not to comb his hair. If I have a friend in ADONGO I would have bought him a razor. When Anyanya called for a meeting the ideas that were given by Ningyoni was to fight Adongo and Arabs only. We will give ourselves because of our land that was given to us by God. Repeats. You were given by your father to a rich man and not by me. I didn’t hear of any rich man who has produced a song in the world. That’s what I think of a rich man is to let him die so we can take their wives. The girl that we were sharing with a rich man became mine. Tape runs out without completing.