Overview

Though the Dogon are well-described, their culture still holds surprises. One of these is the cycle of songs called baja ni, which is at the heart of their funerary rites. These songs are attributed to a historic author, a blind poet/prophet who roamed the area in the nineteenth century and left a huge heritage of songs and prophecies. This book gives the full text of one performance of this legacy. The lyrics cover a range of topics, from comments on historical events to philosophical musings about life and death, and from remembering the departed to celebrating the joys of being alive.

Full Product Details

Author:   W.E.A. van Beek ,  Oumarou S. Ongoiba ,  Atimè D. Saye
Publisher:   Brill
Imprint:   Brill
Volume:   19
Weight:   0.548kg
ISBN:  

9789004718449

ISBN 10:   9004718443
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   01 May 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements List of Figures Preface  The Corpus  Language and Orthography 1 What is the Baja Ni?  1 Enigmatic Texts  2 The Performance of 2005  3 The Baja Ni in the Funeral Rites 2 The Blind Poet 3 Themes and Symbols in the Baja Ni  1 Dynamics of Singing  2 Greetings and Honorific Names  3 Metaphors and Folktales  4 The Internal Audience  5 The Structure of the Baja Ni 4 Message and Meaning of the Baja Ni  1 Remembrance  2 Destiny, Fate and Agency 5 The Pre-Session 6 The Sɛmbɛlɛ Ni 7 The Baja Na Annex 1: Session of 2005: Overview of songs Annex 2: History of recording the baja ni Annex 3: The singers  1 List of Famous Singers, the Troupe of Abirè, as Mentioned in the Lyrics    Baja Unrun    Sisters of the Baja  2 List of Singers in the 2005 Baja Lugo Session    Baja Unrun    Sisters of the Baja  3 Research Team Bamako 2016 Annex 4: List key terms Dogon-English References Index of Authors Index of Subjects

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Author Information

Walter van Beek (PhD 1978), African Studies Centre Leiden, is emeritus professor of Anthropology of Religion. He has performed field research in Cameroon (Kapsiki/Higi) and among the Dogon in Mali. He has published widely on both, including Masquerades in African Society: Gender, Power, and Identity (with Harry M. Leyten), (Currey, Oxford 2023). Oumar S. Ongoiba is a linguist (PhD 1988) and professor of French for the Toronto District School Board. Atimè D. Saye is a translator of Dogon, and head of an extended family in Tireli, Mali.

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