Bulu Songs from the Cameroons

The Bulu are one of the Fang-speaking peoples living in southern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and northern Gabon—a region renowned for its rainforests and mountains. Bulu Songs from the Cameroons includes songs sung by the mbon mvet, a traveling storyteller and musician who spreads news throughout the region and who plays the mvet, a stringed instrument made from the frond of a raffia palm and gourds. Liner notes include a description of Bulu culture, track notes, notes on the pronunciation of Bulu words, and an illustration of the mvet.

Track Listing

101	Dance Song	Male singer and chorus	01:47
102	Secret Society Initiation Song	Male singers with singing horn, drums, rattles	02:14
103	Folk Tale	Wandering minstrel (mbom) with mvet, chorus, rattles	03:01
104	Song of Self-Praise (1)	Wandering minstrel (mbom) with chorus	02:46
105	Song of Sorrow	Male singer with chorus	02:05
106	Dance Song (1)	Male singer with chorus	01:26
107	Dance Song (2)	Male singer with chorus, drums, rattles, percussion sticks	03:17
108	Women's Dance Song	Female singer and chorus, handclapping	03:31
109	Men's Drinking Song	Male singer and chorus, handclapping	02:22
201	Song of Self-Praise (2)	Wandering minstrel (mbom) with chorus, rattles	04:04
202	Work Song	Male singer and chorus	02:57
203	Men's Dance	Male singer and chorus with drums, percussion sticks, handclapping	02:32
204	Story Song	Male singer and chorus with handclapping	03:55
205	Flute Melody	Flute player accompanied by handclapping	02:52
206	War Song	Male singer and chorus	02:06
207	Sung to a Groom	Male singer and chorus	02:17
208	Sung by the Bride's Relatives	Mixed chorus with drums, rattles, handclapping	04:08