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to view online go HERE
Songs from the Celtic corners of Britain are mixed with the magical yodels of the Baka, learned directly from the women deep in the African rainforest.
Some of the best African percussion you are likely to hear is blended with fiery fiddle and spectacular dance moves and underpinned by solid Congolese bass.
These elements are tied together by Martin Cradick's hypnotic guitar, described as sounding like Jerry Garcia after taking a long trip in West Africa.
"...they are one of the best festival bands we have ever had (and we have had a few)" - Terry Wickham, director of Edmonton Folk Festival, Canada.
(Headlined Sat night, 2007 in front of 20,000 people) [watch]
"Not only do they make wonderful accessible music and have a big following, but they're making a real difference to the Baka community . . . A genuine meeting of cultures. . ." - Dave Camlin, chair of Solfest Festival Commitee.
read unbiased live review from BristolRocks . . . get press photos . . . watch promo video
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After 16 years of mixing African and Celtic music in equal measures Baka Beyond have become one of the finest danceable bands around. With musician from 5 countries in Europe and Africa, they create the sound of the global village.
Not just a touring band, Baka Beyond have a unique relationship with their inspiration - the Baka Forest People who live in the rainforests on the Cameroon/ Congo border and with whom Baka Beyond still keep in regular contact - sending royalties to help their development projects, and even touring with Baka musicians.
 Baka Beyond was founded in 1992 after British musicians Martin Cradick and Su Hart had visited the Baka Pygmies of the Cameroon rainforests after seeing a TV documentary. So inspired were they by their magical rhythms and melodies that they recorded an album "Spirit of the Forest" under the name Baka Beyond which pushed them into worldwide recognition. In order to make sure that the Baka got their fair return for their compositions they also founded the charity, "Global Music Exchange". So started this very positive African - European collaboration.
Since these early beginnings when the term "world music" barely existed, Baka Beyond has evolved into a multicultural, dynamic live stage show and album sales top a quarter of a million copies. Band members hail from Brittany, Cameroon, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Ghana as well as Britain. Each musician brings their own influence and talent to the music creating a unique spectacle and honoring a lesson learned from the Baka people, "everyone to be listened to".
Baka Beyond's years of touring has paid off. The energy of their thoroughly uplifting and seamless blend of African rhythm and Celtic melody defies anybody to sit still. In the summer of 2007 they headlined Edmonton Folk Festival and wowed the 15,000 strong crowd, most of whom were new to the magic of Baka Beyond. You can see a clip of this performance HERE.
watch a short live video :: CONTACT US :: listen to a live concert
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For their autumn 2009 tour baka Beyond has been slimmed down to a 5-piece core. Su Hart is joined on vocals by Molara, Fela Kuti's niece and the original voice of dub dance pioneers, Zion Train. Ghanaian percussionist, Nii Tagoe provides the rhythm section with Congolese bass player Kibisingo (of Kanda Bongo Man) tied together by Martin Cradick's hypnotic guitar, described as sounding like Jerry Garcia after taking a long trip in West Africa.
Not "unplugged", the 5-pece is just as vibrant and danceable as ever. This line-up gives Baka Beyond a chance to revisit some of the smaller venues that they had outgrown, and to recreate the stunning vocal interplay shown by the Baka women on the latest album "Beyond the Forest".
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 Yelli is still sung to enchant animals by Pygmy women in the rainforests of Africa. This is a collection of modern arrangements of these ancient songs, highly listenable yet other worldly.
The Baka's share of royalties, as with all the Baka Beyond albums, will be administered through the charity Global Music Exchange to ensure that all money gets back to the Baka musicians and their community. Whereas "Gati Bongo" was led by the Baka men, these songs mostly involve Baka women.
This will be a chance for the women to set up their own projects and directly control the income.
(See www.1heart.org)
"Martin Cradick weaves his magic spell again with the music of the Cameroon rainforest...
...it swings like crazy and deserves to be top of the World charts." Joe Boyd
"Mesmerisingly beautiful" The Scotsman
"eerily otherworldly, yet instantly accessible" R2 (Rock "n" Reel)
"hard to resist" fRoots [listen] [watch video of the recording] [buy direct]
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Gati Bongo no31 in the iTunes World Charts.
Gati Bongo by Baka Gbiné has been in the top 100 for over 3 years now and it's really making a difference to the lives of the Baka.
Let's see if we can get "Beyond the Forest" up there to help the Baka women specifically. |
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Baka Beyond and Baka Gbiné on Spotify.
You can now listen to Baka Beyond and Baka Gbiné on Spotify. Just put "Baka Beyond" or "Gati Bongo" into the search and you'll find them.
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twitter, facebook, myspace & youtube
Baka Beyond now have pages on twitter, facebook, myspace & youtube. Please follow us on your favourite platform and invite your friends to.
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 At the end of November Martin and Andi Main (builder of the baka's music house) will be heading to Cameroon. They are working with the charity Global Music Exchange to put on a festival of traditional music and dance in Limbé, Cameroon on 16th January 2010.
They will be working in conjunction with "The Adventurists" who organise a mad car race from Britain to Cameroon. They will be expanding the end of race party into a festival of traditional music and dance based on the festival Martin Cradick and Su Hart helped organise with Global Music exchange in Ethiopia in 2005 and 2006. Footage from the Ethiopian festival is on YouTube.
The festival will end with the end of race party where Baka Gbiné, the Baka musicians who originally inspired Baka Beyond, will be performing. If we can get funding to fly members of Baka Beyond over as well, then we will also be playing at this party. After the festival Martin and Su are planning to tour with Baka Gbiné around Cameroon for a few weeks before ending up at the Music House at Gbiné for a big party, and to continue their development work there. |
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