Brunner/Bikutsi, 5. Musical Changes towards Beti Music by Modern Dance Bands in Yaoundé in the 1970s

The transition from rumba and merengue to Beti dances like elak in popular music in Cameroon is described in chapter 5 with a focus on the changes in musical and social features. The analysis of the song ‘Bekono Nga Nkonda,’ which is commonly positioned as the first “bikutsi” song on electric guitar, demonstrates several of these key features, leading to a discussion of the phenomenon of the “balafon guitar”.