Dogon songs of life and death. A performance of Dogon mourning songs in Tireli, Mali

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.

Dogon Songs of Life and Death has been published by Brill in the series African Sources for African History (nr 19). 

 

 

 

Author(s) / editor(s)

Walter E.A. van Beek, Oumar Ongoiba, Atimè Saye

About the author(s) / editor(s)

Walter van Beek, a retired research fellow at the ASCL, is an anthropologist with a focus on the Dogon in Central Mali and, earlier, the Kapsiki in North Cameroon.

Oumar Ongoiba is a linguist in Toronto, Canada.

Atimè Saye is a translator of Dogon and French.

Full text, catalogue, and publisher website

Publisher website: 
Brill

How to order

Order this book (e-book or paperback) with the publisher.

Posted on 4 December 2025, last modified on 4 December 2025