Label: Folkways Records – FE 4372 Series: Ethnic Folkways Library Format: Vinyl, LP Country: US Released: 1961 Genre: Non-Music, Folk, World, & Country Style: Field Recording, Folk, African
Time-dialating 1950s folk music and field recordings from the Central African nation of Cameroon, published by Folkways. (NM/VG+ - with booklet)
From the grassy highlands of western Cameroon, Music of the Cameroons narrates the lives of the Bafut tribe of the Tikar ethnic lineage, along with select moments from other nearby Tikar and Fulani tribes. Evocative of the cyclical nature of their lives, the Bafut create layers of repetition and polyrhythm as their workers sift through coffee beans, villagers celebrate their fon (or king), and a mother sings her child to sleep. Both women and men share leading roles in call-and-response tracks featuring instruments such as the shekere (shaker gourd) and pit harp. Liner notes include further descriptions of the Tikar music-making process, the musicians, and photographs dating from 1959 when this album was created.
Tracklist A1 Unknown Artist– Njung A2 Unknown Artist– Hail Muma / Social Song (1) / (2) A3 Unknown Artist– Three Bafut Songs A4 Ngwa– Two Songs A5 Unknown Artist– Drinking Song A6 Unknown Artist– Mansa (Funeral Song) A7 Unknown Artist– Song For The Grass Ceremony A8 Unknown Artist– Four Lullabies A9 Unknown Artist– Sanitree ("Sanitary") B1 Unknown Artist– Lambule Munkunka ("Shaming" Song) B2 Unknown Artist– Njung (Social Song And War Cry) B3 Unknown Artist– Mansa (Funeral Song) B4 Unknown Artist– Christian Hymn B5 Unknown Artist– Njung B6 Unknown Artist– Coffee Workers Song / Work Song With Leader / Jamma-Jamma (medley) B7 Unknown Artist– Pit Violin B8 Fon – Fon's Wives (Two Songs) B9 Fon – Fon's Wives B10 Unknown Artist– Social Njung B11 Unknown Artist– Song Of Welcome B12 Unknown Artist– Nufum (Memorial To The Dead) B13 Fulani– Fulani B14 Unknown Artist– Njung
