A Register of Songs and Dances

A register, not a story

This page is set out as a register. It has one purpose, to show every song and dance named by the narrators, together with the condition of each at the time of interview.

It must be said first that of the seven songs named, only one can have its lyrics published. The reason differs for each, and the reason is given under each entry. That difference is itself knowledge, because it shows that a song may be closed by customary rule, by copyright, by simply not having been performed, or because its language is no longer understood.

Songs

1. Nam Teke Fisir Tamba Nonjo

Narrator: Alexander Kaize, customary head of Wasur village. Marori language.

The lyrics were sung in full during the recording and are published in this series.

Nam teke fisir tamba nonjo. Nam teke fisir tamba nonjo. Sir sir sir sir. Sisir sisir sir sir. Nam teke fisir tamba nonjo.

The meaning given by the narrator is my fire is already alight. He says it may be sung at any time. He also corrected the assumption that it is Malind, stating that it is Marori.

2. Ndap Pari

Narrator: Dominus Bakap, head of Wasur village. Marori Menggey language.

The song was sung during the recording, but conveyed through an explanation of its meaning rather than a full recitation of the words. The lyrics are not published, because the song is the narrator's own creative work, so publication requires his written permission as its author.

Ndap means mother and pari means father. Its content is of parents who go and leave him alone, of struggle against a hard life, and of grievance poured out to the sound of birds, to the savanna, to the bush forest, and to the wind.

3. The songs that name places

Narrator: Yulius Romeo Mahuze, customary head of the Sosom territory.

Not sung during the recording, and having no title. Asked its title, the narrator answered that the song exists but a title does not.

Its content is a sequence of the place names passed through, ordered by the history of the journey. The song is known throughout all four customary groupings, and only the accent and pronunciation differ.

4. Customary singing on the night of a death

Narrator: Yulius Romeo Mahuze. Not sung during the recording.

Sung on the night after someone dies, when the body is laid out, from night until morning. The narrator stressed twice that this practice did not come from religion but was already a Malind tradition before religion arrived.

5. Customary singing on the fortieth day

Narrator: Yulius Romeo Mahuze. Not sung during the recording.

Its content is the names of the places the dead person used to go in life, spoken one by one until the song returns to the death itself.

6. The customary song of the Kanum

Narrator: Mama Norce Mahuze. Not sung and not published.

The reason is customary rule. Asked to sing it during the interview, she answered that a customary song can be sung only when a customary ceremony is under way. "There are rules for that."

That boundary is fully respected. The compiler did not request, did not record, and did not seek the words of this song from any other source.

7. The Gatzi song

Narrator: Agustinus Ndiken, head of Baad village. Not sung during the recording and its words are not published.

Besides not having been recited, the narrator states that the language of this song is not understood by those who sing it. "We do not understand the language. It is simply there, and we can sing it." He supposes it is not everyday Malind but perhaps a refined form of Malind.

Only the elders can still sing it.

Dances

1. Teyangyu

Kanum, told by Mama Norce Mahuze. This dance tells of a time when the elders came from a distant place, met one another there, and then held a ceremony and gave thanks together.

2. Mpantri

Kanum, told by Mama Norce Mahuze. Named as one of the dances, without explanation of meaning. In the recording the name is also heard as Mbantri.

3. Gatzi

Baad village, told by Agustinus Ndiken. General in use and may be performed outside Baad. Used at the opening of a sasi, at the release of customary land, at the reception of important guests, and as an expression of thanks. It usually runs for two nights and is preceded by a pig killing.

4. Ettor

Baad village, told by Agustinus Ndiken. Belongs particularly to the people of Baad and may not be used freely in other villages. Used for reception, including the reception of guests.

5. Dancing at the customary feast of Wasur village

Told by Alexander Kaize without a name. Performed in the afternoon within the customary feast, together with the pulling out of the sasi wood.

Why only one set of lyrics can be published

The seven songs above are closed for four different reasons, and that difference should be read as a finding rather than as a failure of collection.

The first is customary rule, as with the customary song of the Kanum. That song may be sung only while a customary ceremony is under way, so a request to sing it outside such a ceremony is a request that cannot be met.

The second is copyright, as with Ndap Pari. That song is the creative work of a living narrator, so publishing it is a question of permission and not of access.

The third is the circumstance of the interview, as with the place naming songs and the singing at funeral rites. Those songs were simply not performed during the interview, and the compiler has not supplied them from other sources.

The fourth is a break in command of the language, as with the Gatzi song. Here what is lost is not access but understanding. The song is still sung, but its language is no longer understood by those who sing it.

That fourth reason is the most urgent to act on, because it moves with the age of those who remember.