IDNO

P.49857.DRI

Description

"Lango dance with six drums in foreground." [Driberg's caption]

In the foreground, a drum band categorised into one min bul (mother drum), one adadang (second in size to the min bul), and customarily four atin bul with each varying in size to produce varying musical notes. One of the performers is pictured drumming with the flat of his hands, typically in chorus with the other performers. [LS 25/07/23]

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Northern Region [Lango District]

Cultural Affliation

Lango

Named Person

Photographer

Driberg, Jack Herbert

Collector / Expedition

Date

circa 1912 - 1921

Collection Name

Driberg CollectionUnmounted Haddon Collection

Source

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.49848.ACH2. to P.49875.ACH2. were found in envelope now marked C210/1/. This was found in another envelope now marked C210/ which came from the wooden drawer 1.

Place: The Place field was previously recorded as being "Africa; East Africa; ?Uganda", but the Lango is a group from what was known as the sub-region of Lango District, Uganda. A photograph of the series, P.49860.ACH2, has now being identified as Driberg’s, who worked with the Lango of Uganda between 1912 - 1921. The Place field has been amended accordingly. [Source: Ethnologue 15th Edition, JD 19/6/2009]

Photographer: The handwriting on the reverse of the prints P.49848.ACH2. to P.49875.ACH2 is the same as on P.49860.ACH2, which has been identified as J.H.Driberg’s. The Photographer and Date fields have been amended accordingly. [JD 19/6/2009]

Bibliographical Reference: Driberg, J.H. and Coryndon, R.T. (1923) The Lango a Nilotic tribe of Uganda. London: Fisher Unwin. Driberg discusses various types of Lango instruments in his chapter on the "Mode of Life" on page 125, noting that the drum band is distinguished into "one min bul (mother drum), one adadang (second in size to the min bul), and four atin bul (child drum), together with the atimu, a tall, narrow, upright drum, in contrast with the others, which are round and squat, varying in size to produce different notes. When in use the atimu is slung by a leathern thong over the neck and clasped between the knees by the performer, who beats it vigorously with the flat of his hands generally in syncopation with the other drums. These are arranged in a line leaning against a log, before which two musicians kneel beating them with little drum-sticks. The execution calls for great skill and dexterity, one performer operating on the min bul and one atin bul, the other four drums being operated by his partners. The min bul is always at the end of the row, but the position of the other five drums is changed from time to time when a variation in the mode is required. The drummers are always males. The Lango assert that these drums are truly indigenous, but it is doubtful whether this claim can be sustained, though to a certain extent it is supported by the fact that the drum dance is gradually losing popularity in favour of the more modern flutes, the modernity of which is further evidenced by their terminology…". [LS 25/07/2023]