Ritual of the Savage is an album by American composer Les Baxter, released in 1951 often cited as one of the most important exotica albums.[2] The album featured lush orchestral arrangements along with tribal rhythms and offered such classics as "Quiet Village", "Jungle River Boat", "Love Dance", and "Stone God."[3]

Ritual of the Savage
Studio album by Les Baxter
Released	1951 (1951)
Recorded	May 17, 1951
Studio	Capitol (Hollywood)
Genre	Exotica
Length	32:31[1]
Label	Capitol Records
Les Baxter chronology
Arthur Murray Favorites: Tangos (1951) Ritual of the Savage (1951) Festival of the Gnomes (1953)

Baxter described the album as a "tone poem of the sound and the struggle of the jungle."[4] The album's liner notes requested the listener to imagine themselves transported to a tropical land. "Do the mysteries of native rituals intrigue you…does the haunting beat of savage drums fascinate you? Are you captivated by the forbidden ceremonies of primitive peoples in far-off Africa or deep in the interior of the Belgian Congo?"[5]

Track listing

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[6]

1. "Busy Port" – 3:07
2. "Sophisticated Savage" – 2:15
3. "Jungle River Boat" – 3:08
4. "Jungle Flower" – 2:44
5. "Barquita" – 1:45
6. "Stone God" – 3:10
7. "Quiet Village" – 3:19
8. "Jungle Jalopy" – 2:37
9. "Coronation" – 3:00
10. "Love Dance" – 2:19
11. "Kinkajou" – 1:53
12. "The Ritual" – 3:14

References