In 1993 their groundbreaking album Spirit of the Forest, regarded as a classic of the genre, hit the scene to great acclaim.
Originally inspired by the music of the Baka Forest People, Pygmies whose music and dance have been celebrated since the time of the Pharaohs. The resulting music is highly infectious and crosses boundaries of genre, age and ethnicity.
After seeing a documentary on Channel 4, Martin Cradick and his wife Su Hart packed a tent, tape recorder, camera, guitar and mandolin, and headed off into the forests of Cameroon. they spent six weeks living, hunting, gathering and playing many hours of music together with the Baka.
From this experience came two delightful recordings, Heart of the Forest and Spirit of The Forest, which led to the birth of the band Baka Beyond.
Baka Beyond members still regularly visit the Baka in Cameroon, returning royalties earned by their music and helping them use the money for community development projects through Global Music Exchange, the charity they set up. Contributing to health, education, agricultural and musical projects.
bakabeyond.net / @bakabeyon
Suitable for ages 16+
