Musical Instruments

To the Mbuti people, the forest is a sacred place, believed to be their protector and provider. After the death of an important tribes member or disastrous event, a special ritual called Molimo is practiced. A trumpet, also called molimo, is played loudly to "wake up" the forest in the belief that bad things happen to the tribe when the forest is asleep. Made of wood, bamboo or animal horns, the value of a molimo was based on the sound it produced.