Mzeno Lawanani michanja (Transposed one third lower)
- Authors: Komukomu waSimbi (Leader) , Tracey, Hugh
- Date: 1949
- Subjects: Folk music--Africa , Music--Mozambique , Folk songs, Chopi , Chopi (African people) , Field recordings , Africa, Sub-Saharan , Africa Mozambique Mavila f-mz
- Language: Chopi
- Type: sound recordings , field recordings , sound recording-musical
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/194671 , vital:45476 , International Library of African Music, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa , TR207-12
- Description: The verses sung by the dancers in their own village are not quite the same as those I first wrote down and published in "Chopi Musicians". It emphasies the point that verses may be dropped or others added during the lifetime of the song. There is no rule to say that a lyric shall always be sung as at first composed. The leader can 'call' what verses he pleases. Orchestral dance with 16 Timbila xylophones.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1949
Mzeno Lawanani michanja
- Authors: Komukomu waSimbi (Leader) , Tracey, Hugh
- Date: 1949
- Subjects: Folk music--Africa , Music--Mozambique , Folk songs, Chopi , Chopi (African people) , Field recordings , Africa, Sub-Saharan , Africa Mozambique Mavila f-mz
- Language: Chopi
- Type: sound recordings , field recordings , sound recording-musical
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/194662 , vital:45475 , International Library of African Music, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa , TR207-11
- Description: This Mzeno, composed in 1940, was first recorded in Durban on 21st November 1943 when I took 6 Chopi musicians from their homes to demonstrate their music in that city. This group included the two famous leaders and composers, Katini and Komukomu's early Mzeno was, at my special request, performed again. It did not appeal to me to be quite the same as the original recording in Durban so I asked Komukomu why this was so. He suggested that it might be because he sometimes played it in a different key. He thereupon played it again and both versions were recorded, the one (CP-6) in the same key as the 1943 version and the other (CP-7) a third (307 cents) lower. This proves that in their scale it is possible to change mode or key without too much distortion and both versions are reproduced here for comparision with the original recording which is to be found on TR-209. Since no recourse to a written notation is, or was, possible to the players their three versions are of great musicological importance. It will be noted that the singers do not necessarily sing the same verses or in the same order as in the original, which is printed in my Chopi musicians page 34. The scale of Komukomu's Timbila xylophone an alto Sange was:- 496, 448, 404, 364, 328, 296, 272, 248 vs. Orchestral dance with 16 Timbila xylophones.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1949
1. Mzeno and Mtsumeto
- Authors: Komukomu waSimbi (Leader) , Tracey, Hugh
- Date: 1949
- Subjects: Folk music--Africa , Music--Mozambique , Folk songs, Chopi , Chopi (African people) , Field recordings , Africa, Sub-Saharan , Africa Mozambique Mavila f-mz
- Language: Chopi
- Type: sound recordings , field recordings , sound recording-musical
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/194680 , vital:45480 , International Library of African Music, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa , TR208-01
- Description: This new Mzeno of Komukomu is most unusual in that he has combined it with the Msumeto, the 'advance' Mzeno, with the 'retreat' Mtsumeto. It was composed in 1948. The melodies or counter subjects sung by the dancers are particularly pleasing and illustrate the wide musical potential of this form of passcaglia. The change from Mzeno to Mtsumeto occurs at 3m. 59s. from the start of the item. Komukomu was never afraid of innovations, and this was one of them. The fact that it did not last long and he reverted to the more usual form of separate Mzeno and Mtsumeto would indicate that it was not considered altogether satisfactory as a device. This item was recorded at the neighbouring village of Mavila. Two movements of orchestral dance with Timbila xylophones.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1949