Traditional Batwa song
Jul 19, 12:35 PM
For thousands of years, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the south-west of Uganda was home to an indigenous people - the Batwa pygmies. The original dwellers of this ancient jungle were known as “The Keepers of the Forest.”
In 1992, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest became a national park and World Heritage Site to protect the 350 endangered mountain gorillas within its boundaries. The Batwa were evicted from the park and since they had no title to land, they were given no compensation.
Today many of the original Batwa people have been re-housed on land just outside the Bwindi National Park. I visited one such group who were living in the countryside surrounding Ruhija Village. During my visit they sang and danced as a way of welcoming me to their home.
Recorded by Colin Hunter.
Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration.
For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration
In 1992, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest became a national park and World Heritage Site to protect the 350 endangered mountain gorillas within its boundaries. The Batwa were evicted from the park and since they had no title to land, they were given no compensation.
Today many of the original Batwa people have been re-housed on land just outside the Bwindi National Park. I visited one such group who were living in the countryside surrounding Ruhija Village. During my visit they sang and danced as a way of welcoming me to their home.
Recorded by Colin Hunter.
Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration.
For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration