Francis Bebey's Fantastic Akwaaba--Traditional Experimental Masterpiece From Cameroon

Akwaaba is a truly singular album by Francis Bebey (1929-2001), one of the most important Cameroonian composers and artists of the 20th century. The album came out on John Storm Roberts' Original Music label in 1984 and it is one of those albums that defies comparisons. He takes traditional African music forms here, mashes them up a bit, and puts an experimental, sometimes playful spin on things. The featured instrument throughout is the sanza or thumb piano, which is an extremely popular instrument in Africa. On some songs there is also the pygmy pipe, or Ndehou, which sounds a bit like a recorder or flute. He also experiments with types of vocals, including a croaking double voice technique which sounds like a variation on Tuvan throat singing.

On this album the music is old and new, in a way like an Albert Ayler album follows early jazz tradition but also transmutes into chaotic free improvisation. Listening to this album, you can hear him trying new things, but his outlook is steeped with tradition, ritual, history, and the many variations of African music. There is a hypnotic surrealistic magic at work here folks. I've heard bits and pieces of this before, but like seeing a seemingly familiar face, as a whole you have an artist boldly venturing into uncharted areas.

I played this album years ago to one of my cousins when he was about ten, and he was mesmerized by this album. He actually got stuck on the second song Bissau, and insisted that I play it over and over again. I finally wound up buying it for him, and his poor family had to listen to it for five hours straight on a vacation drive to Cape Cod. But I can't say I blame him. Bissau is a potent combination of funky bouncing bass, sanza and pygmy pipe riffing, with Bebey's sometimes elegant vocals segueing into a throaty droning counterpoint.

The title song Akwaaba is simply a phenomenal otherworldly instrumental track. I can't believe the music that he gets out of a finger piano. Bebey is also a virtuoso guitarist (no guitar on this album though) who capably transferred his gifts to this deceptively simple instrument. Look at the album cover--you probably thought he was text messaging an acquaintance here, but he is putting his thumbs to more productive use.

At seven songs and only forty minutes, the album tracks pass by quickly. The finale Di Sengi is another cool  percussive workout. Binta Midiallo is mesmerizing, with devotional impassioned vocals that are almost a musical instrument onto themselves, hovering over the rhythm of the talking drums. The drum beats in their lock groove repetitiveness remind me of some of the experimental German electronic bands, like Can.



Francis Bebey was an amazing individual and an inspiration to many other African artists. In addition to his adept musicological background, he was also an acclaimed author and was a cultural ambassador to the World for Cameroon. He studied at the Sorbonne and also spent time in America. He produced numerous albums over the years, continuing to record even into his seventies. If you can get a hold of this long out of print album, do it. I recommend it very highly to people like me, who can't get enough interesting and creative music to listen to. This is a very special record.