Examples Of Traditional & Liturgical Music Of The Northwest Region Of The Cameroons

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases three videos of the traditional and liturgical music scene in the Northwest Region of the Republic of the Cameroons, West Central Africa.

Information about the Northwes Region of The Cameroons is also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for educational, historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.

My thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to Manunga Studio 2 for publishing these videos on YouTube and thanks to Dr. Emmanuel Anyangwe Ngassa, who identified himself in 2012 as these videos' videographer.
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UPDATED on December 30, 2018: Three of these four videos were showcased in this post in 2012, but those copies are no longer viable. These videos have apparently been re-published later, and it appears that they were republished by the same people who originally published them.

I've added Part I of one of the videos (given as Video #3 below) and I've retained the summaries and 2012 note giving me permission to embed these videos. I also added a few comments from one of these video's discussion threads.

The original title for this post was "Traditional & Liturgical Music Of The Northwest Region Of The Cameroons."

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE NORTHWEST REGION OF THE CAMEROONS
From http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Region_(Cameroon):
The Northwest Province (since 2008 known as the Northwest Region) is the third most populated province in Cameroon. It has one major metropolitan city: Bamenda with several other smaller towns such as Wum, Kumbo, Mbengwi, Ndop, Nkambé, Batibo, Bambui and Oshie...

The population of the North-West Province is a conglomerate of many ethnic groups, comprising the native population and a significant proportion of immigrants from other provinces and from foreign countries, particularly Nigeria, with whom the province shares boundaries in the North and North-West. The native population comprises a variety of ethnolinguistic groups. However, the main ethnic groups are: Tikari, Widikum, Fulani, and Moghamo. The main languages spoken in the province include Mungaka, Bafmen, Oku, Lamnso, Ngemba, Pidgin English, Balikumbat,Papiakum, Moghamo, and Nkom. Colonial masters created administrative boundaries that cut across ethnic groups and cultures. As a result, parts of some ethnic groups now lie in different divisions and provinces. This is believed to be the cause of many land conflicts.

In the province, the social organisation recognises at its head a chief, also called the Fon. The Fons, who sometimes in their tribal area may be more influential than administrative authorities, are enthroned as the living representative of the ancestors.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: Corpus Christi Procession Bayelle, 21.11.2010



Manunga Studio 2, Published on May 14, 2016

MANUNGA STUDIO invites you to a medley of christian songs melodically demonstrated by the Christians of the Bayelle Catholic Parish in Bamenda, Cameroon, West Africa, on November 21st 2010 during the procession of Corpus Christi. This film demonstrates the harmonious co-existence of different tribes and languages in Cameroon here exemplary showed by the Bayelle parishioners. All the songs and dances honour and praise Jesus Christ as the King.
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This same video was embedded in this 2012 pancocojams post with a different year and with the permission of its videographer, Dr. Emmanuel Anyangwe Ngassa. Here is Dr. Ngassa's reply on April 25, 2012 to my request to embed this video and two other videos in this Pancocojams post:
"I write to thank you very much for the interest shown to some of my work. I come from the Republic of Cameroon and I live and work in Germany. I started my video postings on Youtube because I saw a chance to make the rich and heterogeneous traditional and liturgical music scene in the North West Region of my country known to the world. Whenever I travel to Cameroon I carry along my video camera and shoot as many videos as possible which I later edit before posting them on the web. Your work is complementary to mine and I hereby give you the permission for the three videos as requested to be embedded on your blog in due respect of the international regulations for copyrights. This permission is revocable at any time...

I just returned from another trip to Cameroon and I have brought along some new footages which I will be uploading in due course.

May God bless you"

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Video #2: Fon's Dance Tabenken



Manunga Studio 2; Published on Apr 28, 2015

This video portrays the Fon's Dance from Tabenken in the NW Region of Cameroon. It's a royal dance.
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Pancocojams Editor's note (December 30, 2018) -This same video with the same title but a different "uploader" was embedded in this post in 2012. That video was published on YouTube on December 11, 2010 and its "uploader" was given as "GhanaStreet". Here's the summary that was given with that video:
"During the Corpus christi procession of November 21st 2010 at the Catholic Parish Bayelle in Bamenda in Cameroon a traditional dance group from TABENKEN in Donga Mantung Division of the North West Province performed the Fon's Dance. MANUNGA STUDIO presents some highlights here."
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Here are four comments from the discussion thread for the 2015 copy of this video:
1. lucie valey, 2018
"thanks alot for publishing something like this
i love seeing mu culture on line
i'm proud of it"

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2. DR KHALID REVENGE, 2018
"Im from louisiana in the united snakes we do this type of procession in new orleans"

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3. DR KHALID REVENGE, 2018
"Many people from republic of benin were brought to the americas in the 16th century particularly to haiti where their culture still is strong today love my afrikan heritage"

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4. shalimaar444, 2018
"this is BAMILEKE. period!!"

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Video #3: Menang Dance from Bafut Part 1



Manunga Studio 2, Published on May 15, 2016

MANUNGA STUDIO presents the menang dance from the Kingdom of Bafut in the North West Province of Cameroon. This dance was performed on 28th December 2007 during a Cry die (Memorial Service) held at Small Babanki (Babanki Tungo) in Ngoketunja Division.
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Update: December 30, 2018: In the original 2012 pancocojams post, I included a link to Part I of this video instead of embedding it.

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Video #4: Menang Dance from Bafut Part 2



Manunga Studio 2, Published on May 15, 2016

MANUNGA STUDIO presents the Menang dance from the Kingdom of Bafut in the North West Province of Cameroon. This dance was performed on 28th December 2007 during a Cry die (Memorial Service) held at Small Babanki (Babanki Tungo) in Ngoketunja Division.
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Update: December 30, 2018: The copy of this video which was originally embedded in this post had the title "Menang Juju Dance from Bafut Part 2". That copy of this same video was uploaded by GhanaStreet on Feb 4. 2011 with the same summary. that was given with that video:
"MANUNGA STUDIO presents the menang dance from the Kingdom of Bafut in the North West Province of Cameroons.
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Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fon_of_Bafut for information about Kingdom of Bafut and the Fon of Bafut.

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