Search - Bushmen :: Bushmen of Kalahari

Delightful Music of an Endangered People

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel | Oakland, CA USA | 08/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This fine album sounds almost as if the Bushmen (San) were recorded in the, well, bush, so naturally traditional it seems, but the musicians were in the studio in Johannesburg, South Africa. The tunes relate to their primitive hunter-gatherer existence and their holistic environmental approach to life. Their instruments are fairly basic and, of course, portable: gourd and ankle shakers, drums, flute, bow with resonator, and thumb piano. The 35 short tracks, total of 72 minutes, become an enchanting suite. After a history of displacement and crueties, only some 7,000 San people remain in the central Kalahari, and to perserve their culture and art, the Qwii Music Arts Trust in Botswana supported these musicians and studio recording. The enclosed booklet includes photographs of instruments, rock art, huts, and hunting and gathering. The various timbre of the instruments, gentle rhythms, and happy group singing/yodeling make this album worthwhile listening."