The Music of the Bayaka: Volume II

Recordist/Credit: Louis Sarno

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BAYAKA: THE MUSIC OF THE BABENZELE PYGMIES

Since 1984, Louis Sarno, an American born and raised in New Jersey, has lived with and recorded the music of the Bayaka and their surrounding habitats in the remote areas of the Central African Republic. During this period, Sarno reflects, I have grown familiar not only with the Bayaka, but also with the forest in which they live. Their music seems nothing less than a creation of the rain forest itself, its ultimate form of self-expression. Remove the voices of the Bayaka from this paradise of natural soundscapes, and you remove its soul.

THE MUSIC OF THE BAYAKA Volume II
Music and text copyrighted and published by Wild Sanctuary 2007. All rights reserved.
ﾩ 2007 Wild Sanctuary. All rights reserved.

Occasionally the sounds of the forest biophony from which the Bayaka derive their music, are punctuated with the voices of Forest Elephants and the chest-beats of Lowland Gorillas, other inhabitants of this wild and magical location.

1. SO Men's ceremony. The benediction sung at the death of one of the men.

2. NGBINDI Earth-bow performer and tune.

3. NBYO Gong plays notched flute.

4. MONDUME Harp-zither tune played by Bokau.

5. LIMBOKU Typically a women's benediction ceremony performed before a marriage or after a death. It's about and by women.

6. GBAGBA A children's game sung by young children and teenagers.

7. GANO Sung fable, Makuti narrates joined by a male chorus during pause in SO ceremony.

8. GEEDAL Bow-harp performed by Master Balonyona.

9. EJENGI Boy's big spirit initiation ceremony into adulthood.

10. MBYO Contreboeuf plays notched flute.

11. MONDUME Harp-zither played by Mobila.

This is a high-quality zipped album delivered in 192 kpbs MP3 format. This can be listened to on your home computer, burned to a CD, or carry it with you on your iPod or other MP3 player.