Equatorial Microcosm / Various

Equatorial Microcosm / Various

This 1973 Folkways release focuses on the Bwiti religion and it's sister cult, Mbiri, among the Fang people in Gabon. Beginning with gentle harp music played at the start of rituals to cleanse the cult house, the record includes harp songs of fertility and percussion songs that serve to prepare the body for death and reunion with ancestors. Liner notes by anthropologist James W. Fernandez provide a detailed discussion of both the religion and the music.