{"id":12205,"date":"2014-08-22T23:08:53","date_gmt":"2014-08-22T23:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/?page_id=12205"},"modified":"2017-10-02T08:10:28","modified_gmt":"2017-10-02T08:10:28","slug":"song-from-the-forest-the-soundtrack-deutsch","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/?page_id=12205","title":{"rendered":"SONG FROM THE FOREST: THE SOUNDTRACK – Deutsch"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SONG<\/p>\n

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SONG FROM THE FOREST: THE SOUNDTRACK<\/strong>
\nSELECTED RECORDINGS OF BAYAKA MUSIC BY LOUIS SARNO<\/a>
\nEnglish<\/a> | Deutsch<\/em>
\nGruen 150 | Audio CD > [Bestellung<\/a>]
\nDigital > [Bestellung<\/a>]
\nRezensionen<\/a><\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n

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Dieses Album ist der Soundtrack zu dem Film SONG FROM THE FOREST, der die Geschichte von Louis Sarno erz\u00e4hlt, einem Amerikaner, der drei\u00dfig Jahre unter den Bayaka Pygm\u00e4en in der Zentralafrikanischen Republik gelebt hat. Nie zuvor hatte ein Au\u00dfenstehender einen derartigen Zugang zu dieser sch\u00f6nen und sehr musikalischen Kultur. Diese Auswahl Sarnos bester Aufnahmen stellt den Reichtum an Kl\u00e4ngen dieses einzigartigen Volks und seiner Umgebung in ungekannter Eindringlichkeit vor.
\nBewegender Gesang und das packende Trommeln der Bayaka Pygm\u00e4en, Aufnahmen, die Louis Sarno w\u00e4hrend der drei\u00dfig Jahre, die er in Afrika lebte, gemacht hat: Der Soundtrack zu dem preisgekr\u00f6nten Dokumentarfilm SONG FROM THE FOREST.<\/p>\n

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SONG FROM THE FOREST: DER FILM<\/a> \/\/\/ Premieren in Deutschland: Spielzeiten<\/a><\/p>\n

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PRESSENOTIZ
\nSong From The Forest ist ein Film \u00fcber die Liebe \u2013 die Liebe zur Musik, zur Natur, zur Welt; die Liebe zwischen Vater und Sohn. Song From The Forest ist auch ein Film \u00fcber den Zustand der Welt und \u00fcber einige der gro\u00dfen Themen zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts \u2013 Heimat, Identit\u00e4t, Entfremdung, Interkulturalit\u00e4t, Globalisierung.<\/p>\n

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In einem modernen Epos begleitet der Journalist und Filmemacher Michael Obert den amerikanischen Musikologen Louis Sarno und seinen Sohn, den Pygm\u00e4enjungen Samedi, auf ihrer Reise vom afrikanischen Regenwald nach New York City. Song From The Forest ist der Gewinner des Internationalen Dokumentarfilmfestivals Amsterdam 2013.<\/p>\n

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INHALT
\nAls junger Mann h\u00f6rte der Amerikaner Louis Sarno im Radio einen Gesang, der ihn nicht mehr loslie\u00df. Er folgte den geheimnisvollen Kl\u00e4ngen bis in den zentralafrikanischen Regenwald, fand seine Musik bei den Bayaka-Pygm\u00e4en \u2013 und kam nicht mehr zur\u00fcck. Heute, 25 Jahre sp\u00e4ter, ist Louis ein vollwertiges Mitglied der Gemeinschaft aus J\u00e4gern und Sammlern.<\/p>\n

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Mit einer Bayaka-Frau hat Louis einen Sohn, den 13-j\u00e4hrigen Pygm\u00e4enjungen Samedi. Als Baby war Samedi schwer krank und lag im Sterben. Louis hielt ihn die ganze Nacht und versprach ihm: \u201eWenn du \u00fcberlebst, zeige ich dir eines Tages die Welt, aus der ich gekommen bin.\u201d Nun l\u00f6st er sein Versprechen ein und reist mit seinem Sohn aus dem afrikanischen Regenwald in jenen anderen Dschungel aus Beton, Glas und Asphalt \u2013 nach New York City. Hier treffen sie auf Familienangeh\u00f6rige und alte Weggef\u00e4hrten wie Louis\u00b4 Studienfreund Jim Jarmusch, in dessen Filmen Dead Man (1995) und Ghost Dog (1999) sich Ankl\u00e4nge an Sarnos Lebensgeschichte
\nfinden.<\/p>\n

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Schon bald nach ihrer Ankunft die \u00dcberraschung: Samedi, der den Regenwald bis dahin nie verlassen hat und kein Wort Englisch spricht, kommt in Amerika sehr viel besser klar als Louis. Die Ann\u00e4herung an die Welt, die der Vater vergessen wollte und die der Sohn nun erobern will, verl\u00e4uft langsam, leise und mit R\u00fcckschl\u00e4gen. Getragen vom Kontrast zwischen dem Regenwald und dem urbanen Amerika, w\u00e4chst das ungleiche Paar unterwegs immer schicksalhafter zusammen. Song From The Forest erz\u00e4hlt von ihren Siegen, aber auch von ihren Niederlagen. Ein modernes Epos, das am Ende der gemeinsamen Reise von Vater und Sohn auf einen \u00fcberraschenden Rollentausch zusteuert. Und auf die Ahnung des Zuschauers, dass der afrikanische Regenwald und das urbane Amerika \u2013 die beiden scheinbar streng getrennten Welten \u2013 so getrennt gar nicht sind.<\/p>\n

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MUSIK
\nSong From The Forest kombiniert die traditionelle Musik der Bayaka mit Renaissanceges\u00e4ngen aus dem 16. Jahrhundert. Die Messe f\u00fcr vier Stimmen des Komponisten William Byrd, gesungen von der Oxford Camerata, ist eines von Louis Sarnos Lieblingswerken der klassischen Musik und bildet mit ihren f\u00fcnf Teilen \u2013 vom Kyrie bis zum Agnus Dei \u2013 das musikalische R\u00fcckgrat des Films.<\/p>\n

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Die Musik der Bayaka, sozusagen die kulturelle Gegenspielerin der Renaissanceges\u00e4nge, existiert praktisch nur noch in Louis\u2019 Aufnahmen und in seiner Erinnerung. Als Louis mit seinem Sohn Samedi den Regenwald verl\u00e4sst, um nach Amerika zu reisen, werden die polyphonen Ges\u00e4nge der Bayaka und die \u00fcberraschende Bandbreite ihrer Instrumentalst\u00fccke zu Louis\u00b4 innerer Stimme und zum Puls des Films. Die archaisch und zugleich zeitlos anmutende Musik der J\u00e4ger und Sammler ist die akustische und emotionale Verl\u00e4ngerung des Regenwalds in den urbanen Dschungel von Manhattan. In den geheimnisvollen afrikanischen Kl\u00e4ngen schwingen die Stimmen tropischer V\u00f6gel, der Duft des Waldes, morgendliche Nebel, das gelassene Str\u00f6men eines afrikanischen Flusses \u2013 mitten im Trubel des urbanen Amerikas.<\/p>\n

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DIE BAYAKA
\n\u00bbEs war eine Musik, die vermutlich \u00e4lter als die Pyramiden war und immer noch lebte, und ihr wahrer k\u00fcnstlerischer Wert war von kaum jemandem erkannt worden.\u00ab Louis Sarno<\/p>\n

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Die Aka oder Bayaka (gesprochen: Bei-jacka), auch als Babenzele bekannt, sind eine Untergruppe der rund 100 000 kleinw\u00fcchsigen Menschen, die in den Regenw\u00e4ldern Zentralafrikas traditionell als J\u00e4ger und Sammler leben. Die Bayaka sind eines der \u00e4ltesten V\u00f6lker der Erde. Die monogame Beziehung zwischen Mann und Frau ist stark; sie singen, tanzen, jagen zusammen und bereiten gemeinsam das Essen zu. Ethnologen halten Bayaka M\u00e4nner f\u00fcr \u201edie besten V\u00e4ter der Welt\u201c, weil sie mehr K\u00f6rperkontakt mit ihren Kleinsten haben als die M\u00e4nner jeder anderen bekannten Gesellschaft. Auch Louis Sarno tr\u00e4gt st\u00e4ndig irgendein Baby auf dem Arm herum. Die kulturelle Essenz der Bayaka findet sich in ihren jahrhundertealten polyphonen Ges\u00e4ngen. Um sich im Labyrinth des Regenwalds zurechtzufinden, h\u00f6ren die Bayaka auf Wasserl\u00e4ufe, auf das Knarren der Baumst\u00e4mme, auf die V\u00f6gel, den Wind. Der Wald hat ihr Geh\u00f6r gesch\u00e4rft. Sie vernehmen Laute nicht nur auf gro\u00dfe Entfernung, sondern verstehen auch, was sie bedeuten. Jedem Ger\u00e4usch kommt ein unmissverst\u00e4ndlicher Sinn zu. Die Musik der Bayaka ist ein direktes Ergebnis dieses akustischen Weltverstehens. Der Wald ist das Orchester, dem die Bayaka ihre Soli hinzuf\u00fcgen.
\n2003 wurde die Musik der Bayaka von der UNESCO zum Weltkulturerbe der Menschheit erkl\u00e4rt. Die Existenz der Bayaka ist untrennbar verwoben mit dem Regenwald. Doch in den letzten Jahrzehnten wurden drei Viertel der W\u00e4lder im Kongobecken abgeholzt. F\u00fcr die moderne Welt, die mit Holzf\u00e4llern, Goldsch\u00fcrfern, Wilderern und fliegenden H\u00e4ndlern in den Lebensraum der Bayaka vordringt, sind die flinken Waldl\u00e4ufer nicht ger\u00fcstet. Die Bayaka k\u00e4mpfen um ihr \u00dcberleben.<\/p>\n

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\n

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SOUNDTRACK
\n01. Yeyi-Greeting \/ 4:30
\n02. Women Sing in the Forest \/ 4:55
\n03. Tree Drumming \/ 3:08
\n04. Bob\u00e9 Spirits Calling \/ 5:53
\n05. Bayaka Night Insects \/ 4:52
\n06. Louis Sarno Speaks \/ 2:32
\n07. The Flutes We Hear No More \/ 5:12
\n08. Net Hunt \/ 3:00
\n09. Earth Bow \/ 2:09
\n10. Geedal \/ 2:28
\n11. Flute in Forest \/ 5:16
\n12. Water Drumming \/ 2:55
\n13. Lingboku Celebration \/ 5:36
\n14. Moukout\u00e9\u2019s Lament \/ 1:52
\n15. Yeyi-Farewell \/ 5:32<\/p>\n

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Exzerpte:
\nTrack 04
\nMP3<\/a>
\nTrack 07
\nMP3<\/a>
\nTrack 09
\nMP3<\/a>
\nTrack 15
\nMP3<\/a><\/p>\n

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15 Tracks (57\u203210\u2033)
\nCD (1000 copies)<\/p>\n

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DAS BAYAKA SUPPORT PROJECT<\/strong>
\n\u00bbUnd ich dachte an eine Zeit, in der es keine BaYAka mehr geben w\u00fcrde, in der der Urwald einfach ein leeres und einsames Gebiet sein w\u00fcrde.\u00ab
\nLouis Sarno<\/p>\n

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Die Bayaka und ihre einzigartige Kultur sind bedroht durch die Zerst\u00f6rung des Regenwaldes, durch Wilderei und t\u00f6dliche Krankheiten. Schon vor dem Beginn der Dreharbeiten suchten die Filmemacher Michael Obert (Regie), Alex & Ira Tondowski (Produzenten) and Percy Vogel (Associate Producer) nach M\u00f6glichkeiten, die Bayaka in ihrem \u00dcberlebenskampf zu unterst\u00fctzen. Diese Bem\u00fchungen entwickelten sich zum BAYAKA SUPPORT PROJECT. Dieses versteht sich als Bindeglied zwischen den Bayaka und dem Publikum von SONG FROM THE FOREST, das den Bayaka direkt mit Spenden helfen kann. Hierzu schl\u00e4gt das BAYAKA SUPPORT PROJECT auf der Webseite des Films www.songfromtheforest.com<\/a> geeignete Projekte vor Ort vor, welche die Filmemacher mit ihrer jahrelangen engen Verbindung zur Gemeinschaft der Bayaka f\u00fcr sinnvoll und unterst\u00fctzenswert halten, damit die Lebensbedingungen der J\u00e4ger und Sammler nachhaltig verbessert werden k\u00f6nnen.<\/p>\n

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F\u00fcnfzig Prozent der Erl\u00f6se von Film und Soundtrack des Hauptproduzenten von Song From The Forest, Tondowski Films & Friends und Gruenrekorder, flie\u00dfen direkt in das BAYAKA SUPPORT PROJECT.
\n(Details unter www.songfromtheforest.com<\/a> \u2013 siehe dort: Help the Bayaka)<\/p>\n

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SONG FROM THE FOREST
\nMichael Obert, director \/ Alex Tondowski and Ira Tondowski, producers \/ Percy Vogel, associate producer \/ Siri Klug, cinematographer \/ Wiebke Grundler, editor \/ Timo Selengia, sound \/ Marian Mentrup, sound design \/ David Rothenberg, music supervisor<\/p>\n

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Original Music – Louis Sarno recordings Archive of Bayaka Music and Sounds
\n\u00a9 Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. All rights reserved!
\nSoundtrack selections published by Mysterious Mountain Music (BMI)
\n\u00a9 Tondowski Films & Friends and Gruenrekorder
\nArtwork: StudioKrimm \/ Photos: Matthias Ziegler
\nBuchtipps: www.piper.de<\/a><\/p>\n

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Soundscape Series by Gruenrekorder
\nGermany \/ 2014 \/ Gruen 125 \/ LC 09488 \/ BMI \/ EAN 4050486913857<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Rezensionen<\/strong><\/p>\n

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PROGRESS REPORT<\/a><\/strong>
\nHaving not yet seen Michael Obert\u2019s film the music here is from renders this harder to put into context, but going by what I understand from the accompanying booklet most of the songs originated from the Bayaka Pygmies in southwestern Central Africa. Each entry was recorded by the film\u2019s subject, Louis Sarno, an American who one day, in the mid-1980s, became enchanted with such a song himself on the radio and not only took himself to the place in the Congo it was sourced from but ended up staying there, adapting to the Bayaka way of life, marrying a Bayaka woman, having children and recording over 1500 hours of music. It\u2019s a compellingly unique story, saying much about the changing world as one individual\u2019s quest to escape the west he grew up in in order to apply new meaning to his life a world away from those trust-funded travelers who take a year out to, uh, \u2018find\u2019 themselves. Although it equally arrives with a plethora of questions, it is hard to take away what Sarno has done to document his adopted tribe or draw attention to both their situation and that of others amongst their neighbours.<\/p>\n

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The songs here range from yodelling to simplistic combinations of chanting, percussion and stringed instruments being melodically plucked. Interspersed throughout are insect and other such sounds from the jungle, snatches of women singing amongst the trees, a game where chimpanzee sounds are emulated and, indeed, some narration from Sarno himself. Everything adds up to a whole as equally beguiling and compelling as, I\u2019m sure, whatever that first song was Sarno heard on the radio before transforming his life. Whilst I won\u2019t be following in his footsteps, I do now wish to see this film, at least. This stunning document, put together with great care and affection, couldn\u2019t serve as a more suitable conduit for anybody wishing to expand their knowledge of those lesser charted places in the world around us. Superb. RJ.
\nlink<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ed Pinsent | The Sound Projector<\/a><\/strong>
\nA Documentary Film by Michael Obert. Selected Recordings of Bayaka Music by Louis Sarno. GERMANY GRUENREKORDER Gruen 150 CD (2014)<\/p>\n

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Need an interesting solution to the problem of market saturation? Try marketing your charming recordings of an African tribe and their wild locality not as \u2018World Music\u2019 but as the soundtrack to a film about\u2026 a white American gone native. Add a varnished cover, fit for a mid-budget Hollywood project, copious and illuminating annotation along with rich illustration and bingo: something to compete with the eye-catching graphic design and oddball eccentricity of labels like Sublime Frequencies and Nonesuch Explorer.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m making this sound far more cynical than it actually is of course, and it\u2019s purely a result of my own petty envy at the remarkable life experience of said American, the recording artist and film subject Louis Sarno, who tracked down the Bayaka pygmies after hearing them on the radio, then went on to become the only outsider (let alone westerner) to be inducted into the tribe. Since then he has amassed over 1500 hours of recordings, including rituals, musical performances and more personal mementos. His insider\u2019s view might be seen as endowing \u2018authenticity\u2019, but it\u2019s one with which we can identify from afar, given our awareness of issues such as poaching and land encroachment around the world.<\/p>\n

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In many senses these recordings \u2013 captured over the past thirty years of Sarno\u2019s tribal residence \u2013 depict a disappearing world: that of the environment violated by greed, but also of the microcosm of tradition within the tribe itself. Several performances contain feature instruments or styles moribund (\u2018Geedal\u2019), merely remembered (\u2018The Flutes We Hear No More\u2019) or somewhat degenerated in the passing of time (\u2018Ye-yi Greeting\u2019). Several juxtapose the human voice with the sounds of birdcalls, insects chirping and buzzing to highlight the immediacy of the environment for tribal life. Sound quality is mostly crisp, thanks to Mr. Sarno\u2019s many hours of recording practice.<\/p>\n

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Most remarkable perhaps are rhythm-driven performances like \u2018Earth Bow\u2019 \u2013 a device consisting of a sapling bent over a hole, which delivers the kind of deep, resonant twang techno producers go crazy for \u2013 as well as on the tree and water drums (fairly self-explanatory designations), in the latter of which Sarno flags up the rhythmic superiority of the female drummers (it being one of the few instruments women are permitted to play), raising a gender-political message that has a more vocal outlet in \u2018Lingboku Celebration\u2019 \u2013 a song satirising male conservativeness, which is notable for its sexual explicitness.<\/p>\n

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Being the subject of the film, it\u2019s fitting that Sarno gets to tell his own story halfway through. And quite a story it is: he relates the vivid sights, sounds, smells and tastes (the idea of raw honey is making me ravenous) he has encountered in the forest, all of which seem to electrify the senses as much as our Tesco and Primark-homogenised culture dulls ours. I suppose it\u2019s rather easy to romanticise such things though. Louis Sarno found a life changing experience at the end of his quest, while Colonel Kurtz found \u2018the horror\u2019. We all have our own calling \u2013 not necessarily as colourful or adventurous as Sarno\u2019s \u2013 but dispatches such as this (1) might at least embolden us to pay heed that there is a world elsewhere. (1) Including the film I\u2019ve yet to see.
\nlink<\/a><\/p>\n

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MASSIMO RICCI | TOUCHING EXTREMES<\/a><\/strong>
\nDetermining signs must always be recognized.
\nUsually, when this reviewer spends time with a promising record that fails to deliver, another CD is placed in the player straight away in an instinctive gesture. And when the second item acts as an instant catalyzer of corroborative feelings and improved energies \u2013 in opposition to the \u201cbeen there, done that\u201d feeling related to the preceding listen \u2013 the lingering impression is that of having achieved an unexpected goal without lucky coincidences. This is exactly what happened with Song From The Forest. The invisible hand that pushed yours truly towards this magnificent disc had not given any advance information. What was learned, already at the first spin, is more important than merely memorizing the circumstances leading to the movie soundtracked by Louis Sarno\u2019s recordings of Bayaka Pygmies, of which we find fifteen examples herein.<\/p>\n

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As an illiterate \u201cfan\u201d of Pygmy chanting (a kind of proto-minimalism, to quote Frank Zappa yet again), my meeting with Bayaka music conjured up visions of possibilities for an intelligently modest life. Something that most humans seem to have completely discarded, in their incessant quest for excessive wealth and ephemeral prestige, is surviving by following the truest laws of nature. Extracting mesmerizing patterns from found\/invented instruments; welcoming a guest with masterfully interlaced melodies; making fun of the short serviceability of male organs in a mockingly sex-tinged, all-female tune. All practices that by now belong to forgotten spheres and places. This fusion of uncontaminated joy, admirably tuned vocalization, wooden and watery rhythms and environmental echoes is out-and-out curative. The room becomes a space for decaying beliefs to regain their integrity; failures and anxieties are waved off for a while. The Bayaka cosmos encompasses everything that has a pulse \u2013 animal or less \u2013 to shape the listener\u2019s impermanence into substantial wonderment.
\nlink<\/a><\/p>\n

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Curt Cuisine | skug \u2013 Journal f\u00fcr Musik<\/a><\/strong>
\nWenn das Genre Field Recordings wie Pop funktionieren w\u00fcrde, dann w\u00e4re \u00bbSong From The Forest\u00ab, der Soundtrack zum gleichnamigen Dokumentarfilm von Michael Obert. So etwas wie ein Blockbuster, mehr als das sogar, ein kanonisches Werk, das einerseits alle Tugenden des Genres, zugleich all seine Stereotypen und Romantizismen vereinigt. Michael Oberts Regiedeb\u00fct ist eine Dokumentation \u00fcber einen Amerikaner, der seit einem Vierteljahrhundert \u00bbim zentralafrikanischen Regenwald unter Bayaka-Pygm\u00e4en lebt und mit seinem Sohn, dem Pygm\u00e4enjungen Samedi, eine Reise nach New York City unternimmt\u00ab. Obert ist als globetrottender Autor und Journalist f\u00fcr \u00bbGeo\u00ab, die \u00bbS\u00fcddeutsche\u00ab und viele andere renommierte Medien einschl\u00e4gig vorbelastet. Der Film wiederum wurde mehrfach preisgekr\u00f6nt und nat\u00fcrlich kn\u00fcpft sich daran ein Spendenprojekt, das der Erhaltung der Kultur der Bayaka-Pygm\u00e4en zu Gute kommt. Der Soundtrack schlie\u00dflich ist, wie schon angedeutet, der Inbegriff eines Field Recording-Romantizismus: wir h\u00f6ren die Ges\u00e4nge der Pygm\u00e4en, ihr Trommeln an den B\u00e4umen, den Gesang der Insekten, ein polyphones Fl\u00f6tenspiel wie aus dem Lehrbuch der \u00e4quatorialen Folklorstik sowie viele Tribal Songs & Pieces, die fast ausschlie\u00dflich eing\u00e4ngig klingen, aufgenommen noch dazu \u00fcber Jahrzehnte hinweg. Zu allem \u00dcberfluss handelt es sich um Sounddokumente einer allm\u00e4hlich verschwindenden Kultur. All das ist \u00fcber jeden Tadel erhaben, gar keine Frage. Aber eben darum regt sich Skepsis gegen\u00fcber dieser schlichtweg umwerfend sch\u00f6nen CD. Ist das vielleicht doch nur Befindlichkeitsfahrstuhlmusik f\u00fcr Ethnologen? Schwer zu sagen. \u00bbThese are the most lovely voices on earth\u00ab, schreibt Obert \u00fcber den Track Nummer Zwei. Wir h\u00f6ren, tief aus dem Regenwald heraus echoend, begleitet vom Zirpen der Grillen und dem Zwitschern der V\u00f6gel, die Bayaka-Frauen singen. Und das ist wirklich sch\u00f6n, ohne Frage. Selten hat es eine CD der geneigten H\u00f6rerin so leicht gemacht, die Augen zu schlie\u00dfen und an Ort und Stelle in eine sch\u00f6ne, unber\u00fchrte, exotisch-m\u00e4rchenhafte Wildnis zu reisen. Vielleicht zu leicht, vielleicht eben darum diese Skepsis. Einfach zu sch\u00f6n dieses Album.
\nlink<\/a><\/p>\n

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Aurelio Cianciotta | Neural<\/a><\/strong>
\nEverything starts with the movie by German director Michael Obert, Song From The Forest, a fascinating journey into the rainforest of Central Africa, organised in the fall of 2009. The notes of the release describe how Obert had heard the story of a white man who lived in the jungle among the Bayaka pygmies and he decided to go in search of him. Obert only later discovered that the man in question was Louis Sarno, an American musicologist who, twenty-five years previously, had left civilization to live in the wilderness area of the Congo and record Bayaka music. Over the years, Sarno collected more than fifteen hundred hours of recordings of Bayaka music, recently donated to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. This film recounts his return to America. I don\u2019t want to reveal too much of the plot. What matters in our opinion from a purely musical point of view is the intersection of the imagination of the project and its unique documentation, the result of a site-specific work certainly not aimed at those who listen today. Of course the collection of primitive polyphonic songs, interlocking melodies and tribal percussion is no longer completely new and can be found in similar ethnographic recordings. What appears here is authentic material documented \u201cfrom the inside\u201d and enlivened by Sarno\u2019s own uncompromising rejection of the American way of life, only later developed into a kind of social and cultural criticism that is tangible in the movie.
\nlink<\/a><\/p>\n

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H\u00e9ctor Cabrero | Le son du grisli<\/a><\/strong>
\nLa musique d\u2019un film que nous ne verrons peut-\u00eatre jamais. Jamais, m\u00eame, c\u2019est d\u00e9cid\u00e9. Un documentaire de Michael Obert sur Louis Sarno qui, lui, a enregistr\u00e9 pendant des heures et des heures encore (plus de 1500, lit-on) la for\u00eat \u00e9quatoriale de Centrafrique.<\/p>\n

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La d\u00e9forestation menace la r\u00e9gion mais elle n\u2019emp\u00eache pas les pygm\u00e9es bayakas de vivre et de chanter ni les animaux qui la peuplent d’appeller. Sarno conna\u00eet par c\u0153ur ces sons (qu\u2019il explique d\u2019ailleurs dans le livret) parce qu\u2019ils font partie de son quotidien, composent son environnement sonore. C\u2019est le secret de cette s\u00e9lection que nous rapporte Gruenrekorder qui ne donne pas dans le sensationnel ou l\u2019exotisme. C\u2019est plut\u00f4t un enregistrement qui m\u00eale le s\u00e9rieux d\u2019Ocora \u00e0 la po\u00e9sie du sensible capt\u00e9e par Sarno.<\/p>\n

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Les oiseaux le jour, les insectes la nuit. Pour le reste, les voix des pygm\u00e9es. En groupes, ils s\u2019accompagnent de coups donn\u00e9s sur un arbre, d\u2019une fl\u00fbte, d\u2019un instrument \u00e0 cordes en plus des bruits de la nature. Surtout ils nous transforment en voyageur condamn\u00e9, chez lui, \u00e0 garder le lit. Heureusement ils nous visitent, avec ce Louis Sarno, et s\u2019offrent en cadeau. Comme c\u2019est r\u00e9confortant.
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Idwal Fisher | IDWAL FISHER<\/a><\/strong>
\nLet us venture into the Central African rainforest which is where Louis Sarno found himself after hearing the music of the Bayaka Pygmies playing on his radio one night. And off he goes on what must have been an exciting and daunting journey. Twenty five years later Sarno is an accepted member of the community and has a son called Samedi. The film \u2018Song From The Forest\u2019 recounts how Sarno brought his son back to New York, from one jungle to another. What we have here is the soundtrack and but a small representation of the 1,500 hours worth of recordings that Sarno has made of the Bayaka Pygmies unique music.<\/p>\n

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And they do like to make music. When they pass a gooma tree they slap its exposed buttressed roots, when the women bathe they slap the water to make water drums, when they go into the forest they mimic chimpanzees in mock gorilla hunting games, they play flutes, bow harps, they sing laments, greetings and farewells and by the sounds of it have a good time in the process.<\/p>\n

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Listening to Song From The Forest you are struck by the purity of it all. An hour of this CD will cleanse your mind of years of commercial radio. Its the purity that William Bennet speaks of when he says that the sound of two African\u2019s banging rocks together has the same intensity of a Whitehouse performance. You can hear that in the tree drumming where the driving polyrhythms are joined by a female vocalist who\u2019s breathy utterances give the piece an air of [probably unintended] menace. \u2018Earth Bow is another remarkable piece in which a sapling is bent with a piece of twine thats then plucked, a rainforest double bass, as ever accompaniment is in the shape of hand made percussion. \u2018The Flutes We Hear No More\u2019 is the sound of two duetting flautist, the flutes now destroyed and gone forever. The CD is bookended by both a greeting and a farewell. The Yeyi-Farewell is a haunting dirge that showcases the Bayaka\u2019s penchant for polyphonic vocals, in-between the coughs and the cicadas emerges a lonesome and yearning voice.<\/p>\n

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As well as the Bayaka there are pure forest recordings and dialogue from Sarno recounting the story of someone he knew who could walk into the forest and live like a king on the food he caught and gathered. An amazing adventure and an amazing story. Makes not to self to see film.
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Roger Batty | Musique Machine<\/a><\/strong>
\nSong From The Forest is the soundtrack from Michael Obert\u2019s fascinating documentary about the Bayaka Pygmies of the Central African rainforest, & their relationship with American Louis Sarno who has lived with the tribe for some 25 years.<\/p>\n

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Over Sarno\u2019s time with the tribe he has recorded over 1,500 hours of recordings of the tribe\u2019s music, their singing, and the sounds of their every day lives. This soundtrack takes in 15 selections from Sarno\u2019s recording archive, and these move between field recording, more musically\/ rhythmic numbers, onto a mix of both field\/musical tracks.<\/p>\n

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As one would expect from Gruenrekorder this release is wonderfully packaged. The CD comes in a digipak which takes in pictures of the forest the Bayaka live-in. Also you get a full colour glossy inlay booklet- this 20 page affair takes in pictures of the tribe & Sarno, write-ups about the project from various parties connected to the documentary, and the background to each of the 15 tracks featured.<\/p>\n

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The album opens up with the track \u201cYeyi-Greeting\u201d. This takes in a recording of tribes beautiful \u2018 yodelling\u2019 like singing as many of the villages voices join together with the back drop of the night time forest sounds of insects & birds. Track three is entitled \u201cTree Drum\u201d, and takes in the earthy & building sound of several people tree drumming with the addition of subdued vocalising.<\/p>\n

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Later on we have \u201cBayaka Night Insect\u201d which features the detailed, layered & enchanting sound of the forests night time insect population, with the addition of the haunting yet tuneful cuckoo bird song. And \u201cLouis Sarno Speaks\u201d captures Sarno talking about his journeys into the deep forests with the tribe, with the backing of the forest bird song. Really each of the 15 tracks here is wonderfully capture & captivating, and with each new piece you feel like your getting pulled deeper into the Bayaka\u2019s surroundings & life.<\/p>\n

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All told this is a highly captivating & interesting release, which mangers to be varied & rewarding through-out. I can see this appealing beyond the normal \u2018field recording\u2019 listener, as the quality & variation from track to track, the story behind the release, and the way the whole thing is presented.
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Holger Adam | testcard #24: Bug Report. Digital war besser<\/a><\/strong>
\n[…<\/a>] Dokument einer Reise ist auch der Soundtrack zum Film Song From The Forest, der den Amerikaner LOUIS SARNO portr\u00e4tiert, der seit drei\u00dfig Jahren in Zentralafrika bei den Bayaka Pygm\u00e4en lebt. Urspr\u00fcnglich angelockt durch die Musik des indigenen Volkes, reiste er in den Dschungel, um Ton-Aufnahmen zu machen und blieb. Der Film von Michael Obert, den ich noch nicht kenne, erz\u00e4hlt die Geschichte von Sarno, seiner Leidenschaft f\u00fcr die Musik der Bayaka und seinem Sohn Samedi, den er im Alter von dreizehn Jahren mit in seine alte Heimat, nach New York City, nimmt. Zum Film kann ich hier nichts weiter sagen, aber der Soundtrack, bestehend aus Field-Recordings der Ges\u00e4nge und Instrumente der Bayaka im Dschungel Zentralafrikas, macht neugierig darauf, ihn anzuschauen. Der Soundtrack funktioniert allerdings auch ohne Film, und l\u00e4sst eigene Bilder im Kopf entstehen, so wie auch die anderen hier besprochenen Aufnahmen. […<\/a>]
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\u0141ukasz Kom\u0142a | nowamuzyka.pl<\/a><\/strong>
\n\u201eSong from the Forest\u201d to nie jest zwyk\u0142y soundtrack stworzony na potrzeby zwyk\u0142ego filmu dokumentalnego. To fascynuj\u0105ca podr\u00f3\u017c w g\u0142\u0105b las\u00f3w deszczowych Afryki Centralnej.<\/p>\n

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Wszystko zacz\u0119\u0142o si\u0119 od filmu pt. \u201eSong from the Forest\u201d, kt\u00f3ry nakr\u0119ci\u0142 niemiecki re\u017cyser Michael Obert. Jesieni\u0105 2009 roku Obert wyruszy\u0142 w stron\u0119 dorzecza Kongo, w\u00f3wczas \u2013 jak sam twierdzi \u2013 przez przypadek us\u0142ysza\u0142 opowie\u015b\u0107 o bia\u0142ym m\u0119\u017cczy\u017anie \u017cyj\u0105cym od wielu lat w d\u017cungli w\u015br\u00f3d Pigmej\u00f3w Bayaka. Postanowi\u0142, \u017ce go odszuka. I tak te\u017c si\u0119 sta\u0142o. Po kilku dniach w\u0119dr\u00f3wki Obert natrafi\u0142 na plemi\u0119 Pigmej\u00f3w, kt\u00f3rzy wzi\u0119li go za intruza i starali si\u0119 przegoni\u0107 wymachuj\u0105c w\u0142\u00f3czniami, po czym z zaro\u015bli wy\u0142oni\u0142a si\u0119 posta\u0107 bia\u0142ego cz\u0142owieka o dwie g\u0142owy wy\u017cszego od Pigmej\u00f3w Bayaka i trzymaj\u0105cego na r\u0119kach dziecko. Stan\u0105\u0142 przed nim Amerykanin Louis Sarno. \u2013 Kiedy u\u015bcisn\u0105\u0142em jego d\u0142o\u0144 na tej polanie od razu poczu\u0142em, \u017ce spotka\u0142o mnie co\u015b wyj\u0105tkowego w moim \u017cyciu \u2013 dodaje Obert. Ten film przedstawia te\u017c podr\u00f3\u017c Sarno i jego afryka\u0144skiej rodziny do Ameryki. Historia tego filmu odnalaz\u0142a swoje miejsce tak\u017ce w Polsce, gdzie podczas tegorocznej edycji Szczecin European Film Festival mo\u017cna by\u0142o obejrze\u0107 obraz \u201eSong from the Forest\u201d (pokaz odby\u0142 si\u0119 5 pa\u017adziernika).<\/p>\n

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Warto zada\u0107 sobie pytanie: jak Sarno trafi\u0142 do las\u00f3w znajduj\u0105cych si\u0119 Republice \u015arodkowej Afryki? Jeszcze jako m\u0142ody cz\u0142owiek us\u0142ysza\u0142 w radiu \u015bpiew Pigmej\u00f3w. To go utwierdzi\u0142o w przekonaniu, \u017ce musi dotrze\u0107 do \u017ar\u00f3d\u0142a, czyli odnale\u017a\u0107 ludzi z plemienia Bayaka. Poruszony bogactwem kulturowym, jakiego do\u015bwiadczy\u0142 w trakcie swego pobytu w\u015br\u00f3d Pigmej\u00f3w, stwierdzi\u0142, \u017ce chce z nimi zamieszka\u0107. Przez kolejne dwadzie\u015bcia pi\u0119\u0107 lat zarejestrowa\u0142 ponad 1500 godzin wyj\u0105tkowej muzyki Bayaka, oczywi\u015bcie kosztem wielu wyrzecze\u0144. Opowiada\u0142, \u017ce niekiedy musia\u0142 je\u015b\u0107 przez ca\u0142y miesi\u0105c kijanki, prze\u017cy\u0142 malari\u0119, zapalenie w\u0105troby, dur brzuszny i tr\u0105d, lecz nie przeszkodzi\u0142o mu to w podj\u0119ciu decyzji, aby o\u017ceni\u0107 si\u0119 z kobiet\u0105 Bayaka i mie\u0107 z ni\u0105 dziecko.<\/p>\n

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Prawie wszystkie nagrania, jakie znalaz\u0142y si\u0119 na p\u0142ycie \u201eSong from the Forest: Selected Recordings of Bayaka Music by Louis Sarno\u201d, zosta\u0142y wyszperane z kolekcji Louisa Sarno znajduj\u0105cej si\u0119 w Muzeum Pitt Rivers w Oxfordzie, kt\u00f3r\u0105 sam autor sukcesywnie powi\u0119ksza.<\/p>\n

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Na p\u0142ycie znajdziemy pi\u0119tna\u015bcie fragment\u00f3w dokumentuj\u0105cych \u017cycie Pigmej\u00f3w. W ksi\u0105\u017c\u0119ce do\u0142\u0105czonej do albumu przeczyta\u0142em wiele interesuj\u0105cych komentarzy Sarno odnosz\u0105cych do poszczeg\u00f3lnych \u015bcie\u017cek. Ju\u017c pierwsze nagranie \u201eYeyi-greeting\u201d to zetkni\u0119cie si\u0119 z fascynuj\u0105c\u0105 figur\u0105 wokaln\u0105 o nazwie Yodel, za\u015b \u015bpiew kobiet w \u201eWomen Sing in the Forest\u201d \u2013 dodatkowo zanurzony w naturalnym pog\u0142osie lasu, jest wielog\u0142osow\u0105 form\u0105 umilaj\u0105c\u0105 Pigmejom podr\u00f3\u017cowanie przez d\u017cungl\u0119 i zbieranie grzyb\u00f3w. Zreszt\u0105 Bayaka to lud trudni\u0105cy si\u0119 \u0142owiectwem i zbieractwem. Muzyk\u0119 perkusyjn\u0105 odkrywamy w \u201eTree Drumming\u201d \u2013 jak twierdzi Sarno \u2013 w lesie mo\u017cna spotka\u0107 pewien rodzaj drzewa, gooma, kt\u00f3re ma bardzo du\u017ce korzenie. Ilekro\u0107 Bayaka natkn\u0105\u0142 si\u0119 na takie drzewo na szlaku musz\u0105 go dotkn\u0105\u0107 i zagra\u0107 na nim swoj\u0105 muzyk\u0119.<\/p>\n

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\u201eBob\u00e9 Spirits Calling\u201d to rytualny taniec, teatr i \u017ca\u0142obny \u015bpiew kobiet po zmar\u0142ej osobie z plemienia. W tym fragmencie mo\u017cna dostrzec w g\u0142osach kobiet przej\u015bcie od zwyk\u0142ego melodyjnego \u015bpiewu a\u017c do polirytmicznych struktur. Za\u015b w \u201eBayaka Night Insects\u201d mamy nocne odg\u0142osy owad\u00f3w i ptak\u00f3w. W jednym z komentarzy Sarno podkre\u015bla, jak wa\u017cn\u0105 spraw\u0105 jest uregulowanie k\u0142usownictwa szerz\u0105cego si\u0119 od dziesi\u0105tek lat w tamtejszych lasach. W \u201eThe Flutes We Hear No More\u201d z kolei mamy znakomity duet flecist\u00f3w.<\/p>\n

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Jak i\u015b\u0107 na polowanie to tylko z Bayaka. W \u201eNet Hunt\u201d s\u0142yszymy Pigmej\u00f3w na\u015bladuj\u0105cych odg\u0142osy goryli i szympans\u00f3w, by m\u00f3c je nast\u0119pnie z\u0142apa\u0107. To nagranie pochodzi z 1987 roku. Niemal transowe brzmienie instrumentu Boungingi mamy w \u201eEarth Bow\u201d, a pewien rodzaj miejscowej harfy us\u0142yszymy w \u201eGeedal\u201d. \u201eWater Drumming\u201d przedstawia rytua\u0142 k\u0105pi\u0105cych si\u0119 kobiet, gdzie s\u0142ycha\u0107, jak ca\u0142o\u015b\u0107 przechodzi nie tylko w dobr\u0105 zabaw\u0119, lecz tak\u017ce pokazuje jeden z niewielu instrument\u00f3w Bayaka, na kt\u00f3rym mog\u0105 gra\u0107 kobiety. W \u201eLingboku Celebration\u201d kobiety za pomoc\u0105 \u015bpiewu wy\u015bmiewaj\u0105 m\u0119sk\u0105 seksualno\u015b\u0107. Ten rytua\u0142 jest wyrazem ich si\u0142y. Nast\u0119pnie m\u0119ski g\u0142os na granicy lamentu (\u201eMoukout\u00e9\u2019s Lament\u201d) przechodzi w przepi\u0119kny polifoniczny utw\u00f3r \u201eYeyi-farewell\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Kolekcja nagra\u0144 Louisa Sarno jest niezwyk\u0142a, bezprecedensowa i niepowtarzalna. Nie okre\u015bli\u0142bym Amerykanina jako producenta nagra\u0144 terenowych, gdy\u017c on nie uda\u0142 si\u0119 tam jedynie w celu rejestrowania odg\u0142os\u00f3w puszczy i ludzi j\u0105 zamieszkuj\u0105cych. On wszed\u0142 w t\u0105 spo\u0142eczno\u015b\u0107, zamieszka\u0142, ba!, sta\u0142 si\u0119 jej cz\u0142onkiem. Sarno uchwyci\u0142 i dostrzeg\u0142 niebywa\u0142\u0105 wra\u017cliwo\u015b\u0107 w\u015br\u00f3d Pigmej\u00f3w Bayaka. \u201eSong from the Forest\u201d to nie jest zwyk\u0142y soundtrack stworzony na potrzeby zwyk\u0142ego filmu dokumentalnego. To fascynuj\u0105ca podr\u00f3\u017c w g\u0142\u0105b las\u00f3w deszczowych Afryki Centralnej.
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Moritz Holfelder | Bayerischer Rundfunk<\/a><\/strong>
\nSoundtracks des Monats
\n[…] Dass zu einem Dokumentarfilm ein Soundtrack erscheint, kommt eher selten vor. Bei \u201eSong from the Forest\u201c macht es aber absolut Sinn. Der Film erz\u00e4hlt die Geschichte von Louis Sarno, einem Amerikaner, der drei\u00dfig Jahre unter den Bayaka Pygm\u00e4en in der Zentralafrikanischen Republik gelebt hat.<\/p>\n

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Nie zuvor hatte ein Au\u00dfenstehender einen so intimen Zugang zu dieser sehr musikalisch orientierten Kultur. Regisseur Michael Obert portr\u00e4tiert diesen Louis Sarno, der in den 1980er-Jahren in den afrikanischen Urwald entschwand, um die Kl\u00e4nge und Rhythmen des Pygm\u00e4enstamms der Bayaka aufzuzeichnen. Deren Musik z\u00e4hlt inzwischen zum Unesco-Weltkulturerbe und Louis Sarno als ihr Archivar. Er blieb bei den Pygm\u00e4en und gr\u00fcndete dort eine Familie. Doch dann wollte Sarno seinem jugendlichen Sohn seine Heimat New York zeigen, ihm eine neue Welt er\u00f6ffnen. Die Kontraste zwischen Regenwald und der US-Metropole pr\u00e4gen diesen Film.<\/p>\n

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Reichtum an Kl\u00e4ngen<\/em>
\nDer Soundtrack hingegen beschr\u00e4nkt sich auf die T\u00f6ne im zentralafrikanischen Urwald: Insgesamt 15 Ton-Dokumente umfasst er mit Titeln wie \u201eFrauengesang im Urwald\u201c, \u201eBaumtrommeln\u201c, \u201eErdbogen\u201c oder \u201eWassertrommeln\u201c. Ein ganzer Take ist allein der Musik der \u201eBayaka Nachtinsekten\u201c gewidmet. Diese Auswahl von Louis Sarnos besten Aufnahmen stellt den Reichtum an Kl\u00e4ngen dieses einzigartigen Pygm\u00e4envolks und seiner Umgebung vor. Auch wer den Film nicht gesehen hat, erlebt akustisch die Faszination einer f\u00fcr uns faszinierend fremden Welt.<\/p>\n

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Oft nur in der Ferne des Urwaldes im Blattwerk schwebender Gesang, dazu die rhythmischen Trommeln der Bayaka: Der Soundtrack zu dem preisgekr\u00f6nten Dokumentarfilm \u201eSong from the Forest\u201c \u2013 erschienen ist er bei Tondowski Film & Friends. In einem kleinen Booklet werden die Musikst\u00fccke jeweils erl\u00e4utert \u2013 hinsichtlich ihrer Instrumentierung und ihrer rituellen Bedeutung. […]
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Brian Olewnick | Just outside<\/a><\/strong>
\nSelected recordings from the soundtrack of Michael Obert’s documentary on the Bayaka Pygmies of the Central African rainforest. Some 25 years ago, Sarno, enchanted by music he’d heard on radio from this area, ventured there and ended up remaining, adopted by the Bayaka. The film, as I understand it, documents Sarno visiting New York City with his son, Samedi, 13 years of age.<\/p>\n

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The soundtrack album presents fifteen tracks culled from some 1,500 hours of recordings. I imagine many of us have heard various Pygmy music over the years though, speaking for myself, as entranced as I’ve been by what I’ve heard, I really know very little about it (even saying „it“ is likely pretty stupid as I’d suppose there are myriad kinds). The collection makes no claims as far as being representative and, approached thusly, as a sample of music and sounds that Sarno has experienced, it’s rather extraordinary. The jungle is always present in the form of insect and bird calls, sometimes, as in the track „Women Sing in the Forest“, the dominant element, the human contribution all but lost in the swarming cloud, other times, that’s all there is. There’s some extraordinary „tree drumming“ as well as the better known and no less amazing water drumming. There are flutes, „earth bows“ (a bent sampling with twine played over a hole in the ground acting as resonator, sounding like a bass doussn’gouni), bow harps and much singing, especially lovely when employing their version of hocketing („Lingboku Celebration“). Really a wonderful document with, thankfully, none of the sense of cultural imperialism one often finds, doubtless due to Sarno’s commitment to and immersion in the culture. Fantastic music and sounds, highly recommended.
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textura<\/a><\/strong>
\nLouis Sarno’s story is an incredible one. As a young American, he heard a song on the radio that inspired him to venture to the Central African rainforest and locate the sounds‘ creators, the Bayaka Pygmies, a tribe of hunters and gatherers. But unlike most travelers, Sarno never returned home; instead, he became a fully accepted member of Bayaka society, married a Bayaka woman, fathered a son, Samedi, and over the span of twenty-five years recorded over 1,500 hours of unique Bayaka music, fifteen selections of which appear on this hour-long soundtrack to Michael Obert’s award-winning documentary film Song from the Forest.<\/p>\n

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Obviously Sarno is considerably more than a field recordist who temporarily visits a site to gather material with which to work in the comfort of a home studio. Song from the Forest presents instead a case of extraordinary immersion, the example of someone whose intimate relationship with an adopted world now affords others an invaluable glimpse into Bayaka Pygmies culture; Sarno’s liner notes for each track also provide valuable insight into the soundtrack content.<\/p>\n

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Some of the pieces exemplify a character that strongly roots them within their originating context. The close connection between the Bayaka Pygmies and nature comes through in \u201cYeyi\u2014Greeting\u201d in the purity of the yodeled chants that sing out amongst the dense thrum of forest insects. Even more haunting is \u201cWomen Sing in the Forest\u201d where voices are heard echoing from the center of a bimba forest as the women collect water or gather mushrooms. In addition, a clear sense of place is conveyed by the whistling sound collage produced by insects and cuckoos within \u201cBayaka Night Insects,\u201d \u201cNet Hunt\u201d documents the vocal sounds of a gorilla hunting game where men and boys imitate chimpanzee noises, and \u201cBob\u00e9 Spirits Calling,\u201d with its drums and chanting, exudes a feverish rhythmic pulse emblematic of a ritual ceremony.<\/p>\n

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In other instances, one can’t help but notice remarkable parallels that emerge between Western musical forms and those of the Bayaka Pygmies community. In fact, some pieces could pass for rough templates for dance music as well as other forms. The rhythms (and polyrhythms) beating through \u201cTree Drumming,\u201d for example, generated when the Bayaka strike the tree’s big buttress roots, swing with a techno-like intensity, while \u201cEarth Bow,\u201d like some stripped-down techno-funk piece, weds a low-slung bass line to a syncopated percussive pattern and a 4\/4-styled pulse. Striking too is \u201cThe Flutes We Hear No More,\u201d which features Momboli and Gong\u00e9 dueting in a way that’s not light years removed from the kind of two-part flute composition an American minimalist might have composed during the time of Steve Reich’s Drumming. Such surprising connections certainly seem to lend support to the idea of a universal grammar of sound.
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Richard Allen | a closer listen<\/a><\/strong>
\nListening to Song from the Forest, <\/em>many older readers will think of the famous French duo Deep Forest. The duo helped increase interest in world music in the early nineties, but they also did the genre a slight disservice, creating an unfair association between native music and electronic beats. Song from the Forest <\/i>– the soundtrack to the movie of the same name \u2013 is real <\/em>world music, the sound of the Bayaka Pygmies as captured by Louis Sarno (with film direction by Michael Obert).<\/p>\n

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Sarno is the real deal. 25 years ago (the same time as Deep Forest became popular) \u2013 he heard a song on the radio and traced its origin to the Congo. Could \u201cSweet Lullaby\u201d be the song he heard? If so, perhaps we should give the French duo more credit, because this recording is an inspiration, culled from over 1000 hours of tapes. Sarno now lives with the Bayaka, has a Pygmy son, and serves as an intermediary between the tribe and the outer world.<\/p>\n

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This is what it sounds like to be deep in the forest among the crickets and birds and hidden predators: beautiful and frightening, a small piece of the surpassing unknown. The song from the forest existed before it became Song from the Forest; <\/i>nature sings its songs, and the Bayaka respond with their own.<\/p>\n

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The individual voices are intriguing, but the group dynamics inspire awe. These musicians interact and improvise, often using nearby objects (sticks, rocks) to enhance handmade drums. Polyphonic chanting and interlocking melodies abound. These songs are not performances, but expressions of tribal unity; the songs are who they are.<\/p>\n

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Sonic ephemera are interspersed: a walk through the forest, along with nearby monkeys (or Bayaka imitating monkeys; it\u2019s not clear); a tranquil evening; Sarno\u2019s description of the wonderful forest food. The more one listens, the more one appreciates the care that has gone into the selection of sounds; for those unable to see the movie, the soundtrack is the next best thing, bringing the forest to life. Just don\u2019t call it world music; it\u2019s Bayaka <\/em>music, and it\u2019s earned our respect.
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Frans de Waard | VITAL WEEKLY<\/a><\/strong>
\nOne of the various releases this week that is supposed to be a soundtrack. Here no film either, but just the recordings made by Louis Sarno, made in Central Africa with Bayaka Pygmies, a tribe of hunters and collectors. Sarno is not a visitor, but he lives there as a member and married, has a son and recorded 1500 hours of music and sounds. That’s what the documentary by Michael Obst is about, about this rather unique field recordist. Sarno, who guides us through music from Bayaka and the place they live in, documents each of the fifteen pieces here in word. Flutes, tree drumming, singing, games, celebrations and such like are what we hear on this disc. Sometimes recorded from a distance, with the rainforest adding a whole additional layer of sound, which works very well. The ‚Tree Drumming‘ reminded me of earlier Etant Donnes. I very much enjoy a release like this. Not because I know a lot about the subject of tribes or Non-Western music, and I am the first to admit I can’t say anything worthwhile about this, other than: I think this is a fascinating trip. Maybe it’s because I was on holiday just now, and perhaps I would like to evoke the memory of holiday a bit longer? (I doubt whether Central Africa will ever be a point of holiday for me however). Just for now I can really enjoy all of this a lot. Strangely fascinating music. A sound documentary as well as something that you can enjoy from a purely musical point of view. Very nice variation in the world of field recording.
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  SONG FROM THE FOREST: THE SOUNDTRACK SELECTED RECORDINGS OF BAYAKA MUSIC BY LOUIS SARNO English | Deutsch Gruen 150 | Audio CD > [Bestellung] Digital > [Bestellung] Rezensionen   Dieses Album ist der Soundtrack zu dem Film SONG FROM THE FOREST, der die Geschichte von Louis Sarno erz\u00e4hlt, einem Amerikaner, der drei\u00dfig Jahre unter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12205","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12205"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16264,"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12205\/revisions\/16264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gruenrekorder.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}