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BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - Pygmies from deep within Congo's jungles launched their debut compact disc Sunday, singing of the hardships -- and attractions -- of forest life.
The disc, produced with funding from United Nations cultural body UNESCO, includes 10 tracks by pygmy band Ndima from the Congo Republic, one of a few countries in central Africa where tribes of pygmies cling on to their traditional way of life.
"This disc aims to promote the culture of a people threatened with extinction," said Sorel Eta, who coordinated recording on behalf of the Association for Respect for Pygmies.
The group uses traditional instruments such as animal horns, stretched jungle creepers, wooden hide drums and pipes made from bamboo and tree trunks.
They sing about the difficulties of day-to-day life in the jungle, but also the pleasures of hunting and fishing and their desire to preserve their ancient way of life.
Pygmies often face discrimination and have seen the forests where they live dwindle as logging companies push ever deeper into the Equatorial jungles in search of valuable hardwoods. The trade in "bushmeat" has also reduced stocks of hunting animals.
Pygmies are among the shortest race, averaging four to five feet in height, although not all are noticeably smaller than surrounding populations.
They are believed to be the original inhabitants of the equatorial forests where they tend to live in small groups.
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"If sometimes you feel yourself little, useless, offended and depressed, always remember that you were once the fastest and most victorious sperm out of hundreds of millions."
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