Martin Cradick
Martin Cradick pioneered World Music fusion in 1988 with didgeridoo player Graham Wiggins in the band Outback.
He has been working with Baka Pygmy musicians since 1992, when he and his wife Su Hart first visited them in the Cameroonian rainforest. His first collaboration with the Baka, “Spirit of the Forest,” was released to critical acclaim on Joe Boyd’s label, Hannibal Records, in 1993. This album led to the formation of Baka Beyond, which has become one of the top touring world music bands, pioneering African-Celtic fusion and wowing audiences across the globe. In 2006 Cradick, a pioneer of multi-track field recording, recorded “Gati Bongo” (2006) deep in the heart of the rainforest. “Gati Bongo” captured the Baka musicians’ guitar music that had so inspired Baka Beyond. It has quietly become a classic, remaining in the iTunes top 100 world music albums for over two and a half years since its release.
Cradick has now returned to the source of his inspiration. In March 2008 he once again set up an 8-track studio in the Cameroon rainforest, this time concentrating on the Baka traditional music, especially the women’s “yelli” singing. For thousands of years the Baka women have ensured the success of the hunt and their group’s survival through exquisite, wordless yodeling. They sing into the night, ensnaring the spirits of the animals and giving the men the power to hunt. Hidden in these multi-layered vocals are beautiful melodies that Cradick has brought out and sensitively mixed to produce a remarkable album. By replacing the interlocking vocals of Baka Pygmy women with bass and guitar and playing their rhythms on hi hat, Cradick has produced music that is strangely reminiscent of reggae.
Nearly 20 years of visiting the same extended family, playing music together and developing trust and friendship has made these remarkable recordings possible. Cradick and Hart regularly return to the rainforest to get further inspiration, and to oversee projects funded by their music. As with all Baka Beyond albums, the Baka’s share of royalties will be administered through the charity Global Music Exchange to ensure that the money gets back to the Baka musicians and their community. And for people who want to hear the original singing unadorned, a companion album, “Baka In The Forest,” will be released on 18 May.
We administer music publishing rights for Martin Cradick worldwide
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