Love Songs September 2, 1972 - 39A Addis

Recording #39A

Place of Recording: Addis Ababa

Date of Recording: September 2, 1972 (Field notes differ from Aug 24 date spoken on Audio.)

Performance: Opiti Cham from Gambela

Informant: Agwa Alemo

Date of Transcript: April 21, 1973

1 000 Love song.

Information: Thom. Not an Anuak song. Played by Anuaks and translated to Anuak. Mostly for those living on border of MASENKO tribe. When reaches interior of Anuak area, will not translate according to what they play but translate according to the sound. Words would not be translated. But would play I the same way. Instrumental.

Text: Our eldest brothers went to America.

2 052 Love song.

Information: Thom. Vocal and instrumental.

Text: What can I say, I’m surprised at this? (After these sentences can admire any girl after her tree or grandfather or uncle.) Surprising, refers to the dancing. Surprised how good the dancing is. How much it has improved)

3 166 Love song.

Information: Repeats the same words. After repeating the same word, he would praise the girl. Because there is no girl around. Therefore, he is not mentioning or praising any girl.

Text: Complains about a long journey where he wants to go. I’m ready to go. Because I’m poor (Doesn’t mean that he is ready to go very far wa Means that the boy is ready or has prepared to take his wife, only the girl was not prepared but the boy was prepared. He is informing his wife that he is ready to go)

4 270 Love song.

Information: Wire thom. Young girls are divided into two parts. Girls who can pound 4 tins of corn and there are those who are lazy or too weak to pound as much. Those who are lazy to pound they are being insulted in this song. A very nice number, melodic and clear. Instrumental.

Text: When they eat or when the chew pounded corn, they look as they are eating bread. (Means they are very happy, because it is not a big job to do. As pounding corn is.) Repeats the same thing. Voice joins. Those who know how to pound they look like my mother. Or they took the place of my mother.

5 338 Marching form. Not a dancing song.

Information: Wire thom. Vocal and instrumental. If a boy has a girlfriend in the village, he will be going away for working or to have clothes.

Text: In Gambela or in the highlands, when he comes back, he will ask his wife or his girlfriend, when I come, I didn’t hear any greeting from you. Repeats. When I came from Gambela, I didn’t hear any greeting form you.