Democratic Republic of Congo – Ituri Rain Forest
Bambuti

Wood, banana trunks/logs, hide, twine
Early 20th century
Idiophone – Struck Directly

A very rare Bambuti balafon of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Bambuti is a collective name for four populations of Ituri Pygmies—the Sua, Aka, Efe, and Mbuti. They are nomadic hunters and gatherers living in small bands of varying sizes that form into patrilineal groups of from 10 to 100 individuals.

 They live in the Ituri Forest, a tropical rainforest second in size to the Amazon covering about 70,000 km of the north/northeast portion of what was once Zaire. This Bambuti balafon consists of a set of eight (8) wooden keys laid across twisted vines from banana trees, which provide excellent cushions for the keys to rest on, enabling them to vibrate freely. Underneath each of the wooden keys are hollow banana trunks/logs, which serve as excellent resonators.  The original mallets/bats are also seen here.  Ancestors are carved on each of the keys, both ends.  Usage and aging shown.