Photo gallery with soundscapes and quotes from the book The Forest Has You

BAKA PYGMIES - THE INITIATION RITE (CAMEROON)

African Rainforest & Pygmy Peoples


The initiation rite, from Luis Devin's anthropological research in Central Africa (Baka Pygmies, Cameroon)
Luis Devin during a ceremony of the Baka initiation rite (Baka Pygmies, Cameroon).

"Suddenly I find that their hands are touching me. They scoop oil and coloured paste from the bowl and slowly massage my body... These are women from my old camp, come to support me during the rituals. Here, they represent my family. They look after me with the same care as the real mothers and sisters of the other boys..."

Luis Devin, The Forest Has You. Story of an Initiation
Italian edition: La foresta ti ha. Storia di un'iniziazione
(Castelvecchi - LIT Edizioni)

Soundscape: sounds of the Baka initiation camp
and surrounding rainforest. In the background, ritual
dance with initiates shouting (Baka Pygmies of Cameroon).



Photo gallery about African Pygmies and the rainforest, with soundscapes from pygmy camps and the forest.

       Page URL: http://www.pygmies.org/rainforest-pygmies/photo-gallery.php?photo=11       Photos, texts and audio recordings by Luis Devin.
The time in the tropical rainforests of the Western Congo Basin, where the Baka and the other Pygmy peoples live, is 04:12.
Every minute, at least 25 hectares (250.000 m²) of forest are destroyed around the world (source: WWF).