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The Polyphonic Singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central Africa
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The Polyphonic Singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central Africa

Acker Pygmies: Unique Vocal Musical Tradition

Overview of Acker Pygmies' Music and Dance

  • The Acker pygmies, residing in the southwest region of the Central African Republic, possess a distinct vocal musical tradition that is unique to their community and not found elsewhere in Africa.
  • Music and dance are integral to various social and cultural events within the Acker community, including ceremonies for new encampments, hunting gatherings, and funerals.
  • Their complex contrapuntal polyphonic singing involves four voices, allowing for spontaneous expression and improvisation rather than relying on written notation.
  • Performances feature a variety of percussion and string instruments tailored for specific occasions; notable instruments include local TomToms, a harp-like instrument called "good alibi dongle," and the single-string "bone-in belly."
  • The music serves as a means to perpetuate essential knowledge for group cohesion and preservation of community values.

Dance Traditions within the Community

  • Dances are accompanied by vibrant hand clapping; depending on the ritual context, they may involve men alone or male-female couples or solo dancers.
  • The initial participants in dances are referred to as "grand ladies," typically mothers responsible for community survival; they gradually yield space to men led by master dancers based on age and skill level.
  • Choreography often mimics hunting movements, reflecting both human actions during hunts and imitating animal behaviors.
Channel: UNESCO
Video description

UNESCO: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - 2008 URL: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/polyphonic-singing-of-the-aka-pygmies-of-central-africa-00082 Description: The Aka Pygmies living in the south-west region of the Central African Republic have developed a distinctive vocal musical tradition, which involves a complex type of contrapuntal polyphony based on four voices, mastered by all members of the Aka community. Music and dance form an integral part of Aka rituals including ceremonies related to the inauguration of new encampments, hunting and funerals. Unlike polyphonic systems that are written down in notation, the vocal tradition of the Aka Pygmies allows for spontaneous expression and improvisation. During performances, each singer can change his or her voice to produce a multitude of variations, creating the impression that the music is continuously evolving. The songs are generally accompanied by various percussion and string instruments, each one played for a specific occasion.Among the most common instruments are a local type of drum (enzeko), a harp-like instrument known as the geedale-bagongo, and the single-string bow (mbela). The songs perpetuate essential knowledge for the cohesion of the group and the preservation of community values. The dances are performed to the accompaniment of vibrant hand-clapping. Depending on the ritual, some dances feature men only, while others may be executed by couples or by male and female solo dancers. Relying entirely on oral transmission, the Aka Pygmies have succeeded in preserving their musical knowledge within the community by including children in rituals from an early age. The lifestyle of the Aka Pygmies has been drastically disrupted due to the changes currently taking place in the Central African Republic. The scarcity of game resulting from deforestation, the rural exodus and the folklorization of their heritage for the tourist industry are the principal factors contributing to the gradual disappearance of many of their traditional customs, rituals and skills. Country(ies): Central African Republic