During the long dry season, Tupuri men and women in northern Cameroon                  gather in gurna camps outside their villages to learn the songs that will be                  performed at widely attended celebrations to honor the year's dead. The gurna                  provides a space for them to join together in solidarity to care for their cattle,                  fatten their bodies, and share local stories. But why does the gurna remain                  meaningful in the modern nation-state of Cameroon? In Journey of Song, Clare A.                  Ignatowski explores the vitality of gurna ritual in the context of village life and                  urban neighborhoods. She shows how Tupuri songs borrow from political discourse on                  democracy in Cameroon and make light of human foibles, publicize scandals, promote                  the prestige of dancers, and provide an arena for powerful social commentary on the                  challenges of modern life. In the context of broad social change in Africa,                  Ignatowski explores the creative and communal process by which local livelihoods and                  identities are validated in dance and song.

Journey of Song: Public Life and Morality in Cameroon PDF

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