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License:
NOODL-1.0
Steward:
Institute of African Digital HumanitiesDataset ID:
cmqj6jxj401h9nr0766m4b8p0
Task: OTH
Release Date: 6/18/2026
Format: WAV, XML
Size: 1.95 GB
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EMAC-Dataset-Cameroon is a digitised ethnomusicological audio collection dedicated to the documentation and preservation of traditional vocal and instrumental music from Cameroon. It is the largest sub-corpus of the EMAC digitised collection, reflecting the central role played by Cameroon — and by CERDOTOLA, which is headquartered in Yaoundé — in the Ethnomusicologie d'Afrique Centrale (EMAC) project. The project was initiated following the founding meeting held in Sangmélima, Cameroon, from 17 to 22 September 1979. The dataset comprises 32 high-quality WAV audio recordings of traditional Cameroonian musical performances in six distinct genres, performed primarily in the Basaa language (ISO 639-3: bas) by artists from the Centre and Littoral regions of Cameroon, and in the Beti language by artists from the Centre region. Singers and performers documented in the IMDI metadata include Ngo Mbey Nun Edna (Basaa berceuse), Ngo Um Manguele Madeleine (Basaa épopée, born circa 1932), and Bilongo Meyong Adalbert (Beti Mvet, born 1930). Recordings were supervised by CERDOTOLA technicians Bayiha Emile and Assene Nkou Jean-Marie. The recordings were originally captured on magnetic tape and digitised in 2015 at CERDOTOLA in Yaoundé, Cameroon, under the coordination of Dr. Emmanuel Ngue Um, using Adobe Audition 3.0. Pre-digitisation work — including tape cleaning, cataloguing, naming and pre-listening — was carried out by student interns Makon Gwladys and Nastainou Njapndounke. EMAC-Dataset-Cameroon is an ethnomusicological rather than a linguistic dataset and does not provide transcriptions or sentence-level alignments.
Licensing
Nwulite Obodo Open Data Licence 1.0 (NOODL-1.0)
https://licensingafricandatasets.com/nwulite-obodo-licenseRestrictions/Special Constraints
By downloading this dataset, you agree: - To use it for research, education, and cultural heritage purposes only - That you will not re-host or re-share this dataset without the explicit permission of the legal owner
Forbidden Usage
You agree not to use the data for: determining the identity of any performer in the dataset; attempting to clone any voice or train models that imitate any performer in this dataset; Generative AI; reproduction; duplication; modification; augmentation; copying; distribution; transmission; display; sale; transfer; publication or creation of derivative works without the explicit permission of the legal owner of the dataset.
Intended Use
(a) Ethnomusicological and cultural heritage tasks: - Ethnomusicological research: The dataset provides authentic recordings spanning six genres of Cameroonian traditional music and is suited for the study of vocal style, performance practice, melodic and rhythmic structure, and genre conventions across the Basaa and Beti musical traditions. The presence of named performers with biographical data enables performer-oriented research. - Oral literature research: The épopée and Mvet sessions represent extended oral epic traditions of high literary value. The Mvet (Mvet_bibue) in particular is an important object of study for scholars of Bantu oral narrative and instrumental music, given its structured narrative form and the role of the chordophone in the performance. - Cultural heritage archiving: The dataset contributes to the digital preservation of six genres of intangible musical cultural heritage from Cameroon, supporting institutions involved in the documentation of African oral traditions. The recordings of Ngo Um Manguele Madeleine (born circa 1932) and Bilongo Meyong Adalbert (born 1930) constitute rare primary documentation of performers from this generation. - Cross-cultural comparative analysis: Used alongside the other six EMAC country datasets, these recordings enable comparative studies of shared genres (berceuse, chante-fable) and country-specific traditions (épopée basaa, Mvet, Bikutsi) across Central Africa. (b) Computational and technological tasks: - Computational ethnomusicology: Audio signal analysis, genre classification, melodic transcription, rhythmic analysis, and acoustic modelling using traditional Cameroonian vocal and instrumental music as data. The multi-genre structure of the dataset makes it particularly suited for cross-genre computational studies. - Speech and music co-analysis: The co-occurrence of Basaa and Beti spoken and sung language in these recordings enables combined linguistic and musicological analysis of tonal and prosodic features at the speech-music interface. Ethical Review Process All recordings were collected with the knowledge and participation of the performers and their affiliated institution (CERDOTOLA). Named performers are identified in the associated IMDI metadata files. The dataset is made available for research and educational use in the spirit of the EMAC project's mission of documenting and promoting Central African musical heritage.
Cameroon is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse countries in Africa, with over 280 languages and a correspondingly rich mosaic of musical traditions. The EMAC corpus for Cameroon focuses on two major cultural-linguistic spheres: the Basaa tradition of the Centre and Littoral regions, and the Beti tradition of the Centre region. Basaa music is characterised by sophisticated vocal polyphony, tonal melodic patterning, and a rich tradition of narrative oral literature encompassing both the épopée (oral epic) and the chante-fable. Beti music is equally complex, with the Mvet — a narrative epic tradition performed with a stringed instrument of the same name — occupying a central place in Beti oral culture, alongside the Bikutsi, a percussive dance-music form with deep ceremonial roots. At the time of the Sangmélima meeting (1979), Cameroon was described by Emmanuel Soundjock-Soundjock (CERDOTOLA) as having significant institutional potential for ethnomusicological research but lacking coordinated infrastructure — a gap the EMAC project was intended to help fill.
Berceuse (BER): Traditional Basaa lullaby (lisoohe), performed by female singers. Two sessions are represented: BER_001 (performed by Ngo Mbey Nun Edna, recorded by Bayiha Emile) and BER_003.
Bikutsi (BIK): A percussive dance-music genre of the Beti people of Central Cameroon. Originally a ceremonial and ritual music form, Bikutsi has a distinctive rhythmic structure with a polymetric base and call-and-response vocal patterns. One session across 5 audio files: BIK_005 (parts 1–5 of 5).
Chante-fable (CHF): A narrative genre combining sung and spoken passages in Basaa. Two sessions: CHF_001 (6 parts) and CHF_002 (4 parts), for a total of 10 audio files.
Épopée (EPO): Oral epic poetry in the Basaa tradition, performed in a sustained semi-melodic vocal style. Three sessions are represented: EPO_038 (njap makon, performed by Ngo Um Manguele Madeleine, born circa 1932; 1 audio file); EPO_046 (4 parts); EPO_055 (1 audio file). Total: 6 audio files.
Musique épique / Mvet (MEP): The Mvet is a narrative epic music tradition of the Beti/Fang peoples, performed with a stringed chordophone of the same name. The performances in this dataset are in the Beti tradition (Mvet_bibue), performed by Bilongo Meyong Adalbert (Beti, Mvog Evulu clan, born 1930, Primary School Class 3), recorded by Assene Nkou Jean-Marie. Three sessions: MEP_005 (2 parts), MEP_010 (2 parts), MEP_015 (3 parts). Total: 7 audio files.
Genre non identifié (GNI): Recordings whose genre could not be determined at the time of cataloguing. Two sessions: GNI_002 and GNI_005 (1 audio file each).
The musical traditions represented in this dataset are transmitted through oral and performative channels specific to each genre. The berceuse (lisoohe) is transmitted within the family sphere, primarily by women to children. The chante-fable and épopée are performed by specialist oral artists (sometimes referred to as griots or oral poets) who acquire their repertoire through extended community apprenticeship. The Mvet tradition in particular is associated with a highly formalised system of training in which the performer-narrator (mvett) undergoes years of apprenticeship before mastering the instrument and its associated epic repertoire. Bikutsi is transmitted through community participation in ceremonial and social events. None of these genres employs a standardised written notation system for their musical dimension; their transmission relies on embodied practice, memory, and live performance.
The recordings in this dataset were collected by researchers and technicians of the EMAC project at CERDOTOLA (approximately between 1979 and 1982. Emmanuel Soundjock-Soundjock, Secrétaire exécutif du CERDOTOLA, represented Cameroon at the Sangmélima founding meeting. Specific performers and technicians identified in the IMDI metadata include:
Performers: Ngo Mbey Nun Edna (singer, BER_001), Ngo Um Manguele Madeleine (born circa 1932, singer, EPO_038), Bilongo Meyong Adalbert (born 1930, Mvet performer, MEP_005)
Technicians/Recorders: Bayiha Emile, Assene Nkou Jean-Marie (CERDOTOLA)
The original recordings were stored on magnetic tape at CERDOTOLA and digitised in 2015 under the coordination of Dr. Emmanuel Ngue Um, with digitisation carried out by Makon Gwladys and Nastainou Njapndounke.
The recordings represent six genres of traditional Cameroonian music and oral literature: lullabies (berceuse / lisoohe), Bikutsi dance-music, chante-fables, oral epics (épopées), Mvet epic music, and unidentified genre recordings. Performances are in the Basaa and Beti languages. All performances were elicited in a controlled recording environment at CERDOTOLA.
Total audio duration: approximately 5 hours 38 minutes (20,305 seconds), distributed across 32 WAV audio files. IMDI 3.03 XML metadata files: 20 (1 corpus-level, 6 genre-level, 13 session-level), in IMDI/ subfolder.
The dataset comprises 32 WAV audio files organised by genre as follows:
Berceuse (BER) — 2 sessions, 2 files:
EMAC_CM_BER_001-1-1.wav — Berceuse 001 / lisoohe (1 part of 1)
EMAC_CM_BER_003-1-1.wav — Berceuse 003 (1 part of 1)
Bikutsi (BIK) — 1 session, 5 files:
EMAC_CM_BIK_005-1-5.wav — Bikutsi 005 (part 1 of 5)
EMAC_CM_BIK_005-2-5.wav — Bikutsi 005 (part 2 of 5)
EMAC_CM_BIK_005-3-5.wav — Bikutsi 005 (part 3 of 5)
EMAC_CM_BIK_005-4-5.wav — Bikutsi 005 (part 4 of 5)
EMAC_CM_BIK_005-5-5.wav — Bikutsi 005 (part 5 of 5)
Chante-fable (CHF) — 2 sessions, 10 files:
EMAC_CM_CHF_001-1-6.wav — Chante-fable 001 (part 1 of 6)
EMAC_CM_CHF_001-2-6.wav — Chante-fable 001 (part 2 of 6)
EMAC_CM_CHF_001-3-6.wav — Chante-fable 001 (part 3 of 6)
EMAC_CM_CHF_001-4-6.wav — Chante-fable 001 (part 4 of 6)
EMAC_CM_CHF_001-5-6.wav — Chante-fable 001 (part 5 of 6)
EMAC_CM_CHF_001-6-6.wav — Chante-fable 001 (part 6 of 6)
EMAC_CM_CHF_002-1-4.wav — Chante-fable 002 (part 1 of 4)
EMAC_CM_CHF_002-2-4.wav — Chante-fable 002 (part 2 of 4)
EMAC_CM_CHF_002-3-4.wav — Chante-fable 002 (part 3 of 4)
EMAC_CM_CHF_002-4-4.wav — Chante-fable 002 (part 4 of 4)
Épopée (EPO) — 3 sessions, 6 files:
EMAC_CM_EPO_038-1-1.wav — Épopée 038 / njap makon (1 part of 1)
EMAC_CM_EPO_046-1-4.wav — Épopée 046 (part 1 of 4)
EMAC_CM_EPO_046-2-4.wav — Épopée 046 (part 2 of 4)
EMAC_CM_EPO_046-3-4.wav — Épopée 046 (part 3 of 4)
EMAC_CM_EPO_046-4-4.wav — Épopée 046 (part 4 of 4)
EMAC_CM_EPO_055-1-1.wav — Épopée 055 (1 part of 1)
Musique épique / Mvet (MEP) — 3 sessions, 7 files:
EMAC_CM_MEP_005-1-2.wav — Mvet 005 (part 1 of 2)
EMAC_CM_MEP_005-2-2.wav — Mvet 005 (part 2 of 2)
EMAC_CM_MEP_010-1-2.wav — Mvet 010 (part 1 of 2)
EMAC_CM_MEP_010-2-2.wav — Mvet 010 (part 2 of 2)
EMAC_CM_MEP_015-1-3.wav — Mvet 015 (part 1 of 3)
EMAC_CM_MEP_015-2-3.wav — Mvet 015 (part 2 of 3)
EMAC_CM_MEP_015-3-3.wav — Mvet 015 (part 3 of 3)
Genre non identifié (GNI) — 2 sessions, 2 files:
EMAC_CM_GNI_002-1-1.wav — Genre non identifié 002 (1 part of 1)
EMAC_CM_GNI_005-1-1.wav — Genre non identifié 005 (1 part of 1)
File naming convention: EMAC_{CC}{GENRE}{NNN}-{part}-{total}.wav
CC = ISO country code (CM = Cameroon)
GENRE = genre code (BER, BIK, CHF, EPO, MEP, GNI)
NNN = zero-padded session number
part / total = part index and total number of parts for multi-file sessions
IMDI metadata files (IMDI/ subfolder):
EMAC_Cameroun.imdi — Corpus-level (Ethnomusicologie du Cameroun)
EMAC_Cameroun/Berceuse.imdi — Genre-level (Berceuse)
EMAC_Cameroun/Berceuse/Berceuse_001.imdi — Session meta BER_001
EMAC_Cameroun/Berceuse/Berceuse_003.imdi — Session meta BER_003
EMAC_Cameroun/Bikutsi.imdi — Genre-level (Bikutsi)
EMAC_Cameroun/Bikutsi/Bikutsi_005.imdi — Session meta BIK_005
EMAC_Cameroun/Chante_fable.imdi — Genre-level (Chante-fable)
EMAC_Cameroun/Chante_fable/Chante_fable_001.imdi — Session meta CHF_001
EMAC_Cameroun/Chante_fable/Chante_fable_002.imdi — Session meta CHF_002
EMAC_Cameroun/Epop_e.imdi — Genre-level (Épopée)
EMAC_Cameroun/Epop_e/Epop_e_038.imdi — Session meta EPO_038
EMAC_Cameroun/Epop_e/Epop_e_046.imdi — Session meta EPO_046
EMAC_Cameroun/Epop_e/Epop_e_055.imdi — Session meta EPO_055
EMAC_Cameroun/Genre_non_identifi_.imdi — Genre-level (Genre non identifié)
EMAC_Cameroun/Genre_non_identifi_/Genre_non_identifi_002.imdi — Session meta GNI_002
EMAC_Cameroun/Genre_non_identifi_/Genre_non_identifi_005.imdi — Session meta GNI_005
EMAC_Cameroun/Musique_pique.imdi — Genre-level (Musique épique / Mvet)
EMAC_Cameroun/Musique_pique/Musique_pique_005.imdi — Session meta MEP_005
EMAC_Cameroun/Musique_pique/Musique_pique_010.imdi — Session meta MEP_010
EMAC_Cameroun/Musique_pique/Musique_pique_015.imdi — Session meta MEP_015
| Audio file | Genre | Performer / Notes | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMAC_CM_BER_001-1-1.wav | Berceuse | Ngo Mbey Nun Edna (Basaa, Female) | 1/1 |
| EMAC_CM_BIK_005-1-5.wav | Bikutsi | Beti performer (session 005) | 1/5 |
| EMAC_CM_CHF_001-1-6.wav | Chante-fable | Basaa performer (session 001) | 1/6 |
| EMAC_CM_EPO_038-1-1.wav | Épopée | Ngo Um Manguele Madeleine (b. ca.1932, Basaa) | 1/1 |
| EMAC_CM_MEP_005-1-2.wav | Mvet | Bilongo Meyong Adalbert (b. 1930, Beti) | 1/2 |
| EMAC_CM_GNI_002-1-1.wav | Genre non identif. | Session 002 | 1/1 |