Press release 8th June 2007

A group of African Pygmy musicians from the Cameroon rainforest are joining up again with the renowned band, Baka Beyond, to tour the UK this summer

Baka Beyond are an energetic live band who blend African and Celtic music. Founder members Martin Cradick and Su Hart have nurtured a 15 year musical friendship with a family of Baka Pygmies from South-East Cameroon who continue to inspire Baka Beyond's music to this day.

Baka Gbiné are the Baka's own vibrant guitar band, mixing the exuberant rhythms of Congolese music with their own strong traditions. Baka Gbiné gained critical acclaim last year with their album, "Gati Bongo" and their first ever tour outside of Cameroon.

The combination of Baka Beyond and Baka Gbiné together on stage is truly spectacular. Their combined UK tour in May 2006 gave fans an exciting and rare glimpse of this extraordinary musical culture which is captured on the CD "Baka Live", released April '07. It was the success of that tour which prompted Baka Beyond to invite these musicians back to travel with them on this European tour.

Following the recordings and recent tours these forest hunter-gatherers have gained some much needed respect in Africa. In April 07 they were invited to speak and perform at a World Bank funded conference in Congo (as heard on Radio 4 "From our own correspondent"). A school and health centre have been put into operation at their music house in the rainforest, all funded by their own musical endeavours. Popular demand for their uplifting music brings them back and offers them new challenges such as Glastonbury festival, where they will perform in a wind and solar powered venue.

Baka Beyond and Baka Gbiné can be seen at many venues across Europe this summer - Please see the attached gig list for further details. They will be recreating the music of their latest 2 albums "Rhythm Tree" and the award winning "Gati Bongo". These albums were recorded both on a mobile solar-powered recording studio in the Cameroon rainforest and at Baka Beyond's studio in Bath.

Tour Dates:

June
Sun 24th	Croisant Neuf Stage, Glastonbury Festival
Fri 29th	Workhouse Festival, Llanfyllin, Wales
Sat 30th	Fiddlers, Bristol, UK
July
Sat 7th	Music & Dance from Around the World, Grove Park, Weston-Super-Mare, UK
Sun 8th	Clonmel Junction Festival, Co Tipperary, Eire (Baka Gbiné only)
Wed 11th	Clonmel Junction Festival, Co Tipperary, Eire
Fri 13th	Westonbirt Aboretum, Gloucestershire, UK
Sat 14th	World Music at the Bowl, Swindon, UK
Sun 15th	The Larmer Tree Festival, Nr Tollard Royal, Wilts
Wed 18th	The Ariel Centre, Totnes
Thurs 19th	Bush Hall, Uxbridge Rd, London, W11
Sat 21st	Lambeth Country Fair, Brockwell Park, Brixton
Sun 22nd	Ealing Jazz festival, Ealing, London (Baka Gbiné only)
Fri 27th	Landjuweel Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Sat 28th	Sfinks festival Belgium.
Sun 29th	Sfinks festival Belgium (Baka Gbiné only)