The BaAka bahka People Singing: Makala

1
The BaAka (bah-ka) People Singing Makala

• Pygmies Forest People

2
Three Images of the Forest People

• Primal Eden a simple, unspoiled, and innocent
  utopia
• Primitive Savage primitive savagery, an earlier
  stage in evolution a way of life associated
  with the Stone Age.
• Unique Culture in a Global Village non-literate,
  non-industrial, with an unspecialized division of
  labor and a cashless barter/subsistence economy,
  in a homogeneous society with small-scale,
  decentralized social institutions and egalitarian
  social relations.

3
CD 121 Makala (mah-kah-lah), a Mabo
(mah-boh) Song

• Setting a performance event (eboka) of Mabo, a
  type of music and dance associated with net
  hunting.
• Form and Texture sections of singing, drumming
  and dancing. Each song has a theme, that is, a
  text and a tune.
• Timbre Men and women of all ages sing Makala
• Theme obscured by polyphony
• improvisation on the melodic theme is encouraged

4
Polyphony in Makala CD 121

• heterophonymany simultaneous versions of a
  tune
• drone/ostinatoreiteration of a rhythmic pattern
  on very few pitches
• layeringparts with distinct polyphonic
  functions arranged according to pitch range

5
Polyphony in Makala

• counterpointdistinctive countermelodies, often
  in the yodeling parts.
• accompanimenttwo drum parts and hand clapping.
• the continuously repeating drum pattern
• the rhythmical interlocking of all the parts
• the interweaving of the melodys four defining
  pitches (D, C, Bb, G)

6
Music-Culture as an Adaptive Resource

• Their communal singing wakes the forest, and
  restores their balance with nature.
• Improvised, open-ended polyphony reinforces
  cooperation and other communal values
• Individuals within the BaAka community stand out
  the identity of composers of particular songs and
  repertories is known

7
Conclusion as Discussion

• I would try to immerse myself completely in the
  local culture
• I would expect to find highly developed and
  respected traditions of musical
• I would immediately begin to learn how to play
  the music