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Description
Note: "2. Königsfrauen Mowue, Tuke Guitarre spielend. Unser Häuptling Nzoya widmet manche Mussestunde der Musik. Er ist selbst Komponist, und auf die Frage, was er denn komponiere, sagt er: 'Es sind Loblieder auf meine Mutter [letzten 4 Worte unterstrichen] und Kriegslieder [Wort unterstrichen], die ich mir ausdenke.' Unser Völklein hat etliche Arten von Musikinstrumenten, am beliebtesten ist das hübsche Saiteninstrument, das einen ausserordentlichen weichen, beinahe wehmütig singenden Ton hat. Musikbegabte Königsfrauen- und Töchter erhalten von eingeborenen 'Tonkünstlern' gründlichen Unterricht, und des Königs Antlitz leuchtet, wenn einige seiner Lieblingsfrauen sich melden lassen mit dem Wunsch seiner Majestät ein Ständchen zu bringen. Er beobachtet dann kritischen Auges die Haltung des Körpers u. des Instruments. Er lobt oder tadelt den Anschlag, korrigiert den Takt und das Tempo, freut sich besonders, wenn ihm Stücke vorgetragen werden, die er selbst komponiert hat und ist ganz glücklich, wenn er die spielenden Frauen loben und belohnen kann." (Wuhrmann, A., 1917. Beschreibung zu den Lichtbildern aus Bamum. E-30-0,6). Note translation: Two King s wives, Mowue and Tuke, playing the guitar. Our chief Njoya devotes many leisure hours to music. He composes music himself and if you ask him what he composes he replies I think out songs of praise to my mother, and war-songs . Our small people here has different sorts of musical instrument, and the most loved one is a pretty-looking stringed instrument which produces an extraordinarily soft, almost sad, tone like a singing voice. King s wives and king s daughters who have musical gifts are given thorough instruction and teaching by indigenous musicians, and the King s face lights up when some of his favourite wives turn up with the wish to play him music. He watches their posture and their handling of the instrument with a critical eye. He praises or criticises their intonation, corrects the rhythm and the speed, and is delighted when pieces are played to him which he has composed himself. When he feels he can praise and reward his musician-wives he is totally happy. (A. Wuhrmann, 1917, Commentaries to Slides from Bamum, E-30-0,6. K 347).
Type
image
Format
b/w positive, paper print, collodion 8.2 x 11.2 cm.
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