CULTURE
You're
likely to hear modern African music on the radio, most of which
comes from the two Congos. Some of its exponents have become world
famous, and while traditional African music influenced the music
of the USA, the Caribbean and Latin America, modern African music
has in turn been influenced by jazz, rock and Latin rhythms. Traditional
African music is not generally particularly accessible to the
Western ear, and although it's full of complex rhythms and harmonies,
it is not melodic and may sound as if very little is going on.
The log xylophone is one of the most common instruments, and it
consists of two long banana tree trunks supporting about five
logs that are struck with sticks. The tiny sanza or thumb piano
consists of a soundbox of wood with bamboo or metal keys played
with the thumbs. If you encounter any pygmies you will probably
hear some of their music, because they accompany all of their
daily activities with music.
Africans
generally place great emphasis on clothing, and a trip to the
CAR is a treat to see the quality of people's dress. Women often
wear a loose top and a length of cloth (pagne) around the waist
as a skirt. Men's casual clothes - which look like pyjamas - are
in the same distinctively 'African' designs, but most of the cloth
is imported from the Netherlands. The most authentic cloths are
the handmade, designed fabrics, such as woodblock prints and batiks
and tie-dyed cloths. Dress is normally conservative and shorts
are frowned upon, and the standards are usually tougher for women
than men.
French
is the official language, but Sango is the national language and
is widely used on radio and in official situations. Sango is related
to Lingala, one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's main
languages. There are pockets of Islam in the north, and Christians
and animists are in roughly equal numbers throughout the country.
Many Christians still maintain at least some animist practices,
and because every ethnic group has its own religion there are
hundreds of religions in the country. Good and bad magic and spirits
play a significant role in local religions, and religious men
can read fortunes, give advice on avoiding danger and hand out
charms. Much of the life in CAR centres around special events
like baptisms, weddings, village celebrations (fêtes), funerals
and holidays. There will usually be dancing at all of them except
funerals.
In the
villages and in African-style homes in the larger towns, people
eat with their hands, although visitors will normally be offered
a spoon. Always use your right hand, as the left is reserved for
the toilet; you will cause significant offence if you do not observe
this rule. The best African food you'll find will be in someone's
home, but the second best is often on the streets. Generally,
the more varied the ingredients the better, and variety is part
of what makes the food so interesting. Many dishes are made with
okra (gombo) which is very slimy, and because it's commonly used
on the streets it's easy to get the impression that there's little
else. Meals typically consist of a staple (rice, fermented cassava
- another very sticky sensation - or bananas) with some kind of
sauce.
