Pygmy Musicians Race to Save Dying Art

www.ozy.com [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Daily Dose]( The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Aug 13, 2022 Today In the rainforest of Northern Likouala province of the Republic of Congo, the Aka Pygmy are a nomadic indigenous tribe using their evocative music to preserve an endangered culture and way of life — one song at a time. – with reporting by Victoire Douniama from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo Rhythm and survival Polyphonic rhythms For the Aka Pygmies, music is a language of spirituality, a means of communication and an essential element of the traditional ceremonies accompanying marriage, death and hunting. In 2003, members of the tribe formed the musical group Ndima, which means forest. Over the past decade, they have performed across Europe and Latin America. Ndima’s music makes captivating use of what’s known as polyphonic rhythm, or the combination of multiple distinct melodies. Two or three singers collaborate to modify their voices, producing an array of pitches and sounds with the vocal technique known as the yodel. “Our music is an important tool for many rituals that we use in order to channel the spirits of the forest,” Ngolou Emilliene, a singer and a member of the Aka tribe, told OZY. “Every Aka child learns how to sing the yodel sounds from a very young age.” [Watch Ndima yodel on YouTube]( Lenzeko harp The vocalists are accompanied by the evocative sounds of handmade musical instruments, including the lenzeko harp and a single-strand bow known as the mbela. The music can express profound joy as well as anger and grief. [Watch Ndima’s mbela on YouTube]( A culture on the brink An ally joins the fight “The Aka pygmies are currently in danger of extinction,” says ethnologist Sorel Okanango Eta, who has lived with the Aka people and studied their culture for the past 26 years, and serves as Ndima’s manager. In an interview with OZY, Eta explained that the Aka culture was unknown to many people before Ndima was created. Locally, most people knew little about the tribe, while today the Aka music is broadcast on TV, radio and the internet. Ndima has hosted events focusing on the tribe’s traditional shamanic practices and master classes on Aka’s polyphonic sounds. “Imagine if an epidemic were to destroy this minority population? We could lose all of this knowledge and culture in the blink of an eye, and that is why it is important to diffuse the Aka music,” says Eta. Forest under threat Logging of the forests that are the traditional terrain of the Aka has endangered animals such as antelopes and wild hogs, which used to be abundant here and provided an essential food source for the tribe. The Aka can no longer rely on hunting and fishing. Formerly a nomadic people, the many threats they face today have forced them into sedentarism, fundamentally altering their culture. Now, to adapt to the modern way of life, they must seek employment elsewhere and purchase food in markets, like the people of the bantu tribes all around them. “The bantu tribes that were colonized by France are, in a way, colonizing the Aka pygmy tribes and expecting them to live according to the bantu lifestyle choices,” Eta explained. Pitfalls of modern schooling Emilliene says that among the younger Aka generation who attend modern schools, she has noticed a lack of interest in learning about Aka culture and traditions. “Since the Aka children have been attending school they learn how to speak French and not the Aka languages. They also lose track of learning from the school of the forest,” she told OZY. Today, “most Aka children do not have an understanding of how to navigate the forest and certain rituals that are important in order to do that.” Music, however, is helping to keep the culture alive. [Watch Ndima performing in Paris]( WATCH MARC REBILLET on [The Carlos Watson Show](! Lessons from the forest’s ‘university’ Join the conversation of cultures Ndima regularly collaborates with other musical artists from around the world in what Sorel Eta calls a “dialogue” of cultures. “The pygmies represent an African culture and Europeans represent another culture. So by collaborating with different artists we are creating a dialogue of cultures, so that people can learn our culture and we can learn theirs,” he says. Eta has now penned a book in French called “The University of the Forest,” and has launched a music conservatory for the teaching and practice of the pygmies’ music, which has hosted international tourists. Follow them This year alone, Ndima has collaborated with musical artists including [Leilla Martial](, Eric Perez and Remi Leclerc. On Oct. 1, the group will play a concert in Paris. You can find their latest updates on the [Group Ndima Facebook page](. Community Corner What artist or group should OZY feature next? Share your thoughts with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com. ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! [TV]( | [PODCASTS]( | [NEWS]( | [FESTIVALS]( A Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](