PYGMIES DANCE JAZZ OSA JOHNSON CONGORILLA 1932

From the politically incorrect 1932 documentary Congorilla , Osa Johnson dances jazz with the Pygmies. Osa and Martin Johnson explored Africa and left several unique film documentaries.

The Martin and Osa Johnson safari Museum is located in Chanute Kansas.
Check out their website at www.safarimuseum.com
The Museum has a number of fascinating
DVD's for purchase including "Congorilla"

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• pygmy
• pygmies
• osa
• johnson
• jazz
• congorilla
• 1932

[kphilj]

This documentary is more revealing of White American culture and Western thinking at the time - full of ignorance and arrogance. But this clip is funny - the White lady is the funniest of all. Hahaha!!! Why does the commentator seem to think that jazz belongs to White people? Isn't it an African-American art form? Maybe the music and rhythm were somehow familiar to the people. In any case they seemed to enjoy it. I'm sure they were thinking how ridiculous that White lady looked, though.

[trabanul]

kphilj: Great comment. All values seem to have been mixed up at the time. I agree that the clip is funny and I posted it for it's entertainment value. Regards, Trabanul

[konagal]

commentaries about SAVAGES isn't necessary 'cept around our dinner table.

I read books about Osa Johnson many decades ago while i was in school .... what i learned was that she was a famous white woman who did exploring in other countries, she was part of many exciting adventures and I envied her, I too wanted to explore this wonderful world. I'm still enjoying traveling and learning new cultures... people learn from each other, hugs everyone :)

[trabanul]

I have three teenagers..so we do talk about savages at our dinner table...(them and their friends :-). Osa Johnson films are wonderful and what stucks my attention is that they show a natural world that does not exist anymore asi it was.

[bleblablibloblu]

It is difficult to have a thought about this film; probably it was funny in Osa time but I see it now so ridiculos. We are now in another time but at Osa time there were other peoples approching and taking knowledge of other cultures with a behaviour much closer to that we have today. Probably, the point is not to export dixi or bombs, but only to listen the other. If Americans arrive to read other languages probably they will discover another wonderfull books on exploration.

[trabanul]

Oh..this film is not a comedy..it a documentary and it shows the Pygmie people as they were. Nowadays they wear shorts and tee shirts and live in shacks not huts. As for the languages, that goes for "other languagers" too...If they would learn to read "American" :-) they will discover many wonderful books on explorations..and please, don't make me think that you are French and Chauvinst..that would be....shocking!!

[rucio2]

@kphilj Then Mrs. Osa Johnson, as a human being, could feel the jazz like any other person beyond its color... I find her pretty into it.

Agree about recognizing cultural roots. I mean, how come there are blacks in America?... Just crazy the reason.

I mean, was just kidding with the first comment...

[kphilj]

@rucio2 My reference to these people recognizing something familiar is two-fold: 1) It refers to the distant but real connection between African-American cultural roots and African traditional cultures - to deny African-Americans and indeed Africans of their mutual connection would seem "racist"; 2) There is something universal about all musical expression, and Pygmies like al humans can share this universal familiarity. As Black people we have the right to recognize our cultural roots.

[rucio2]

@kphilj Yes, so the pygmies had "somehow" the jazz rhytm inside just because they were black... i mean, africans.

Very funny, politically correct, racist comment, dude.

[ThePetalbluelite]

Pygmies of the Central African rainforests were called god dancers and venerated by the ancient Egyptians because they learnt their spirituality from them, which developed over time into all the bastardized religions of the world today.

Such was their oneness with nature, the concept of God, astronomy and astrology, diet and medicine, peaceful living with animals, plants, water and nature as a whole, even our innate African rhythm have all been attributed to the pygmies.

Savages???, my ass!!!

[9bahai9]

I agree with Kphij. And the comment about these people being "savages" is way off! This is the kind of thinking I tried to correct when I was growing up. But since my thinking was in the minority, everyone felt sure I was wrong. These people had highly evolved cultures with great dances, songs, and ceremonies. I went to Kenya in October 2009 and saw some of the remaining indigenous cultures and how they perform. We haven't destroyed it completely!

[heinbanjo12]

And now we have Borat.

[joliesmeralda]

they all look so happy...