Cameroon
Beti (Fang)

Wood, fiber, calabash, cloth
ca. Early-20th century
Idiophone – Struck Directly

Cameroon is home to numerous distinct ethnic groups including the Bamoun, Beti, or Ewondo. The Beti are best-known for bikutsi music, which has been popularized and become a rival for the more urban and accessible makossa of Douala. Bikutsi is characterized by a compound 6/8 rhythm, and is played at all sorts of Beti gatherings, including parties, funerals and weddings. The word bikutsi can be loosely translated as beating the ground continuously. Beti gatherings fall into two major categories: 1) Ekang phase: the time when imaginary, mythological and spiritual issues are discussed ; 2) Bikutsi phase: when real-life issues are discussed. The Ekang phase is intensely musical, and usually lasts all night. There are poetic recitations accompanied by clapping and dancing, with interludes for improvised and sometimes amazing performances on the mendzang (a type of xylophone). During bikutsi, women dance and sing along with the mendzang, as the lyrics focus on real-life problems. This tribal used mendzang (balafon) with 8-keys/bars with attached gourd  resonators was collected by David Stiffler.