Martin Cradick[1][2][3], was the founder of the band Outback along with Graham Wiggins (aka Dr Didg). Outback spearheaded a new fusion of world music and were signed by Joe Boyd. Martin in 1992 travelled to south-east Cameroon to live with the Baka tribe (hunter-gatherer Pygmies) in the rainforest and record their music. The Baka people are one of the oldest and most sensitive musical cultures on earth. Song and dance are used by the Baka for healing, hunting, for rituals, for keeping the community together and also for pure fun. A lifelong musical friendship evolved. Martin’s many recordings from the rain forest, provide royalties which are used for forest projects decided by the Baka themselves. The Baka realize that their music and dance underpins their culture and unites them. It not only brings them a financial reward but more importantly, the respect of their Cameroonian neighbors and recognition in the wider world.
Martin, inspired by the Baka, then founded Baka Beyond (1992), with partner and vocalist Su Hart.
In the early days of the band, Baka Beyond consisted of English musicians trying to re-create the sound recorded with the Baka people and integrate it into their music. Joined by Breton fiddler Paddy Le Mercier, Cradick and Hart recorded two albums with musicians from the Baka tribe: Spirit of the Forest, released in 1994; and The Meeting Pool, released in October 1995. The group continued to evolve into a touring ensemble with the addition of Senegalese percussionist Sagar N'Gom, an ex-member of Outback; keyboardist Tom Green, formerly of the Orb; drummer Sam Pope; bassist Marcus Pinto; and vocalist Kate (Budd) Hardy. Baka Beyond's 1998 album, Journey Beyond, was a heavier produced project featuring guests including percussionists from the Ghanaian band Kakasitsi. The international nature of the band eventually grew to include musicians from Senegal, Brittany, Sierra Leone, Congo and Ghana as well as Cameroon and Britain.