The pygmies call themselves children of the forest. They inhabit the rainforests in the Central African territory which include Central African Republic, DRC Congo and Cameroon. Their outstanding feature is their height with the males being slightly taller than the females. Their height makes it easy for them to exist freely in the dense rainforest. Economically, they are hunters as well as gatherers blending well with their forest environs. The kind of lifestyle they lead in the forest enable them to have enough time for leisure thus doing dances and music.
Their kind of music is traditionally oriented. Their polyphonic type of singing has been widely celebrated for years. This mode of singing which is always very dense has influenced many scholars and researchers that they have travelled to go and live with the pygmies for some time to orient themselves with this amazing culture. The pygmies’ ability to make sweet music is inspired by the environment that they live in. there is a heightened necessity to develop sharp hearing capability due to the limited vision occasioned by the dense foliage in the rainforests.
The pygmies have also mastered sounds of different animals in the forest so that they could use this ability to aid in their hunting. They also use specific rhythmic sounds to alert members of their hunting group and know how to position themselves in executing a hunt.
Their music relates very well to their social setting. The dense polyphonic kind of music is due to the numerous single melody versions that overlap. This melody acts as the basis for every participant taking part in although one can alter the melody if so wishes and the point of entry is also not dictated by any rule. A piece of the melody may be repeatedly done in a way that finally results into another brand variation. If the melodies are done in large groups the overlapped lines build up a melodic matrix which is so interesting since it is full of dissonant intervals as well as passing harmonies. Their vocal ornaments comprise of hoots and yodels and it is this combination that brings about sweet music.
Reference
Anonymous ‘Music of the Central African Pygmies’
Anonymous ‘Turnbull forest people’
