Swaziland, 1973

Arriving at Matsapha airport here are some scenes from Swaziland as it was in 1973; the background singing is the "Bena Mpondo" choir singing "Sanibonani, nonkhe" (Hello, everybody) in "uMbholoho" style, I recorded in a small hut in Mangwaneni, near Mbabane. The next scenes are taken in Mbabane, Swaziland's capital; the music in the background is made by a woman, cradling her baby, and playing the "sikhelekehle", a one-stringed musical bow with a gourd as a sound amplifier. It was recorded at her house in Mbabane.
These scenes were recorded with an old 8 mm camera (without sound) in August and September 1973; the sound, including my commentary, was added later from tape recordings I had made in previous years and later filmed from a screen with an analogue video camera. The image and sound quality is therefore poor for which I apologise. For (better quality) photos of this ceremony go to http://worldpics.com.au/Africa/Swaziland/.

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• Swaziland
• Africa
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