People of the Congo Rainforest

This post is about some of the forest people of the Congo these are called the Aka the Baka and the Twa.

I talked to my grandma and she told me about the music of the Baka tribe she had learnt it at a workshop lead by somebody who had lived with the Baka people the Baka songs are sung by a method called yodelling they are also accompanied by complicated hand clapping rhythms. They have a really cool song called 'The Forest is Ours' which you can listen to here. We listened to a band called Baka Beyond which has musicians from the UK and the rainforest in. They play at festivals in the UK so I might get to see them! 



The Baka are "pygmies" with means the adults only grow to about 4 feet/1.2meters. They live as hunter gatherers. Their  problem is that other people are taking their trees which also means that big companies are taking their land, which means it leaves less forest. for the Baka people to use for hunting gathering.


A Baka home and some people from the Baka tribe.


Photos from Flickr by Corinne Staley

The Baka tribe are being forced to leave there homes and live by busy places and that means that the are losing their traditional way of life.

The workshop that my grandma went to was run by Sue Hart who lived with the Baka people and helped them raise money to build a Music House to help the keep their music tradition alive. They also continue to raise funds to the Baka.

Here is the charity you can support to help the Baka tribe.

Global Music Exchange

Me and Grandma writing this on holiday in Anglesey! 


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