Tuareg women playing drum, clapping hands and singing melodies during spontaneous event called tende, Tombouctou, Mali

Object Details

Local Numbers: A 1 TRG 21 EE 59
General: Title is provided by EEPA staff based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Photograph appeared in Life Magazine (57938 1 44).; Series Reference: 21.; Frame value is 5.; Slide No. A 1 TRG 21 EE 59

Topic: Rites and ceremonies -- Africa; Clothing and dress -- Africa; Children; Cultural landscapes; Music; Musical instruments

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Mali

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "A more organized 'conversation' with an audience is called a 'tende'. It is a spontaneous event. It may occur during a wedding or at a child's christening or when a person returns from a long absence or when there is a visitor. Usually an elderly woman starts a tende by bringing a wooden mortar, filling it with water, and covering it with a skin. This is the drum. Sometimes the song is accompanied by the sound of the imzad (anzad), or one-stringed violin. The women rhytmically drum the most famous melodies, clap their hands, and sing while the men listen, speak, and recite poems. Sometimes young men take the initiative and show off with their camels. The tende can last for hours until the women who started it decide it is time for sleep. When these meetings are larger and more formal, they are called 'ahal'." [Castelli Gattinara G., 2006: Poetry as a Reflection of Tuareg Cultural Values and Identities; Art of Being Tuareg. UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Kel Tademekket confederation of Tuareg people located in the Tombouctou region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.