The FOREST PEOPLE of Central Africa

So-called “Pygmy” (BaAka, BaMbuti, etc.)

• Live in the forested areas of tropical central Africa (from Gabon and Cameroun in the west to Uganda in the east).
• They identify with the Forest as Provider.
• One of several distinct ethnic groups who share common characteristics. Semi-autonomous; decentralized
• Social unit; small, close-knit group of families and friends
• Move from place to place in search of food through cooperative hunting and gathering (so-called “egalitarian”); hunting bands

Musical features:

• Key values of society reflected in music—a relaxed and spontaneous social structure. Collective participation is highly valued in lifestyle and multi-part music.
• Performance is a non-specialist activity, centered on vocal music and involving the whole community. Interchanging leadership roles.
• Yodeling and hunting calls are part of “acoustic technology” in the forest (hunting calls, called mongombi, become songs)
• Use of wordless, vocal polyphony,
• Emphasis on ostinato, interlocking parts, use of hocket (where each singer is responsible for a note, or they alternate short melodic fragments)
• Drone
• Overlapping call-and-response.

“Pygmy pop”:

Played example from Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” from his Headhunters album. Bill Summers’ intro was hocketed on a beer bottle based on the BaMbuti hindewhu example of a woman alternating notes on a whistle with notes she sang.

Africa Page
African American Music
Native American Music Page
Study Guide Exam 1

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