African Blog: The Arts from Cameroon and West Africa

Cameroon Stool. Retrieved from http://www.randafricanart.com/Cameroon_stool.html

Art from Cameroon and the region of West Africa represents the prestige and the power that certain chieftains from the Cameroon and West Africa area. Renowned around the world, Cameroonian traditional and more modern art have been displayed in various museums all over the globe. Their artifacts vary from pottery, wood carvings, sculptures, face masks, and bead works. The most elaborate are garments, headdresses, and furniture for Cameroon leaders and nobles.

Bamun Royal Headdress
http://www.hamillgallery.com/EXHIBITIONS/Cameroon1.html
Photograph by John Urban

Some of the most well known artworks are that of the tribes Bamileke, Bamun, Tikar, In particular the Bamileke, Bamun and Tikar civilizations excel at these crafts. The art of pastoral groups such as the Fulani and Hausa symbolize their lifestyle of cattle herding.(1)

Bamileke tribe-Kuosi society, Cameroon Tribes. Retrieved from
www.ForAfricanArt.com/Bamileke

These spectacular costumes which represent the African elephant and leopard Africa’s royal animals are worn by the Kuosi society within the Bamileke tribe which report directly to the king, are responsible for festivals and dances held yearly that represent the kingdoms wealth.(2). Different houses exist within this society, with each one adorning different masks, or different dances.

Music and dance are an essential aspect of Cameroonian culture they are heard at all types of settings such as religious ceremonies, festivals or storytelling. Traditional dances were highly choreographed and separated men and women. With over some 200 different dances coming from Cameroon.

Mendjang(Balafon). Retrieved from we-are-cameroon.com

Traditional instruments vary from the Mendjang or Balafon which is like a xylophone to drums, shakers or a Cameroonian harp known as an Ngombi.

Ngombi. Retrieved from www.we-are-cameroon.com

Popular music of today is makossa which developed in Douala which combines folk, soul and Congo music. Another popular genre is bikuti with its beginnings as war music amongst the Ewondo tribe. Other styles include ambasse bey from the coastal areas, assiko of the Bassa, tsamassi from the Baileke.(3)

Traditional dance and music from the Mukonge tribe hailing from the northwestern part of Cameroon.