Mbyo
The video clip below shows Louis Sarno talking about Bayaka mbyo (flute) music, and is part of a series of video interviews with Louis that were recorded in April 2012.
The mbyo (or mobio) is a beautiful four-note end-blown Bayaka flute that is usually played solo, although very rarely can be heard as duets. The melodic lines are very closely related to the beautiful yeyi, or yodelling, singing of the women. The mbyo resonates under the forest canopy in a very distinctive way such that, at a distance, one player can sound like the singing voices of two women perfectly interlocking. The mbyo is often played at night in the forest when the camp is asleep and it is said that the music is supposed to enter your dreams.
This playlist contains examples of the beautiful sound of the mbyo, including the sounds resonating under the canopies of the rainforests. Heard here are some of the Bayaka master players of the mbyo – Momboli (or 'Contreboeuf'), Mobila, Ngongé and Mindumi.
