West African and Ethiopian Folk Music

West African and Ethiopian Folk Music collection is a collection of recorded music archives by Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Sweeney. Housed at the American Folk Centre, Library of Congress in Washington DC in the U.S., the collections features two 10-inch tapes of music and spoken word recorded in Ethiopia and West Africa by Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Sweeney, ca. 1952-56. One tape contains a conversation in English, elephant jokes, instrumental music, narration, songs, and stories recorded at various locations in West Africa, including the Gold Coast and Mali.

There are three 5-inch and three 7-inch tapes of conversation and ceremonial music which were recorded in the Congo, Gold Coast, Kenya, Ruanda-Urundi, and South Africa by Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Sweeney between 1952 and 1956.

In addition, the collection has one tape containing a vocal group with cymbal and drum. The tape 1 hour; LWO 4109 reel 1) was recorded at Tamale, Northern District, Gold Coast. Lastly, another tape (1 hour; LWO 4109 reel 2) contains descriptions of the making, selling, and use of gold weights spoken by an Ashanti goldsmith which was recorded in Kumasi, Gold Coast.