African pygmy ethnomusicology

The Pygmies are a hunting and gathering peoples from the rain forests and jungles of Central Africa in the countries now known as Cameroon, Gabon and Congo. They are characterized by their short stature and although the term “Pygmy” is derogatory, no other term has been presented a an alternative, with many individual tribes preferring to be referred to by their tribe name. In all tribes, music is an inherent and essential aspect in all Pygmy daily activities and is a constant of their way of life. Each activity from healing to basket making, sacred rituals to every day games, contains music as well as dance. Indeed, music is an irreplaceable and important part of a Pygmy’s life and all Pygmies participate in the singing and dancing of their culture.
African Pygmy music is particularly characterized by the vocals which contain contrapuntal communal improvisation. Although polyphonic complexity of the music is dense and follow strict cyclical patterns, the Pygmies do not recognize their music in this rigid, mathematical framework and simply learn it from growing up and being immersed in the culture (Brandel, 1956). The numerous musical forms are almost exclusively vocal and polyphonic and is based on “repetitive melodic-rhythmical formulas, with micro variations and a great deal of individual improvisation,”(Campagnoli, n.d.).
A common vocal technique used is referred to as Jodel which utilizes the rapid passage from head o chest voice, performed on sounds without meaning, much in the same manner as European Alpine yodelling. Typically one member begins an individual repeating melody and after a few minutes, another joins in with yet another melody with its own rhythm and cycle. These vocalisations are utilised in every song and can be sung by any member of the tribe, at any given time. All the individual sounds form a polyphonic harmony that in many ways mimics the very sounds of the forests.
The majority of the instruments used by the central African Pygmies come from previous exchanges with bantu peoples and other tribes living on the edges of the central African forests. These include instruments such as the cylindrical drum, arched harp (ieta), harp-zither (ngombi), lamella phones and other modes of rattles made from local resources ,”(Campagnoli, n.d.). Flutes and standing musical bows (limbidi) are also used and played most often by the women.
Water drumming is popular style that characterises Pygmy music. The Pygmy peoples literally “play the water” by standing about waist high in the river and slapping the surface of the water with cupped hands. Each person plays a different rhythmic pattern that together form a more complex syncopated rhythm. Water drumming is a good example of how music is in the everyday activities of the Pygmies, even in something as simple as bathing as in the river

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