Cows, women and war

When Ajak Kwai was a child she had a speech impediment and avoided talking. But her incredible musical memory made her the songwoman of her South Sudanese village, and provided a library of stories from the dying Dinka culture.



PHOTO: Ajak Kwai will soon release an album titled Of Cows, Women and War. (ABC News: Margaret Burin)

By Margaret Burin
Updated yesterday at 3:47pm

They're three very separate topics, but for Ajak, cows, women and war are all central to her story, and to the tale of her war-ravaged culture.

The Melbourne woman has spent the last few years recording songs passed down from her ancestors.

Cows

Ajak's tribe, the Dinkas, have been nomads for thousands of years.

As agropastoral people, cattle are at the centre of their economy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-13/ajak-kwai-cows-women-and-war/7555150

4:40 Audio: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-13/father-by-ajak-kwai/7556898