Music of Equatorial Africa

This 1950 compilation utilizes recordings made in former French Equatorial Africa, a territory out of which the countries Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of Congo, and Cameroon were formed. Performers include members of the N’Goundi, Bongili, Babinga and other tribes. Ethnic Folkways Library editor Harold Courlander provides an essay explaining the ways in which African music has influenced many styles of American music, including cowboy and Latin–American songs. Song selections emphasize how music in Africa is connected to the activities of daily living, such as a song in which N’Goundi girls “scoff at a young boy who has bragged too much about his own capabilities.”

Track Listing

101	Badouma Paddler's Song (Male Chorus)	Male Badouma paddlers	01:38
102	Badouma Paddler's Song (Male Voices, Sansa, Rattles, Horns)	Male Badouma paddlers, sansa player, rattle and horn players	01:33
103	N'Goundi Song (Male Solo, Mixed Chorus, Sansa)	Male N'Goundi singer with sansa, mixed chorus	02:06
104	N'Goundi Girls' Song (Female Chorus, Handclapping)	Female N'Goundi soloist, girls' chorus	01:15
105	Mboko Song (Solo Voice, Musical Bow)	Male Mboko musical bow player	01:53
106	Mboko Riddle Song (Male Voices, Zither Harp, Wooden Sticks, Rattle)	Four male Mboko musicians with zither-harp and percussion	01:21
107	Okandi Women's Song (Female Chorus, Drums)	Female Okandi chorus, three male drummers	01:40
108	Yaswa Marimbas (Three Xylophones)	Yaswa xylophone players	01:35
201	Bongili Work Song (Girls' Chorus, Pestle Sounds)	Young Bongili women beating out bananas	01:17
202	Baya Dance (Mixed Voices, Drums, Rattles)	Mixed Baya singers with rattles, three drummers	01:57
203	Pomo Perambulating Chant (Mixed Voices, Horns, Bell, Rattle)	Mixed Pomo singers with rattles, male horn and bell players	01:38
204	Koukouya Horns and Drums (Ivory Horns, Drums, Solo Voice)	Koukouya singer with drum, five ivory-horn players	01:38
205	Babinga Pigmy Chorus (Flute, Women's Chorus, Handclapping)*	Female Babinga chorus, flute player	01:16
206	Babinga Dance (Mixed Voices, Drums)	Mixed Babinga chorus, drummers	01:52
207	Kouyou Medicine Dance (Male Voices, Horn, Drums, Sticks, Handclapping)	Male Kouyou singers, horn player, drummers	01:22
208	Kouyou Women's Dance (Women's Chorus, Drums, Bell)	Female Kouyou chorus with bell, three male drummers	02:04