Page 66 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14

Art & Culture

one can celebrate love to the fullest
measure of heart. The Western
style of marriage taking place in this
continent makes me wonder if our
people truly know the worthiness
of African cultural marriage and I
sometimes believe that the African
marriages are in failure not because
the couples do not love each other,
but because their founding princi-
ples are not African by nature!

During the process of building, de-
stroyers often appear. On a big proj-
ect, some things may be damaged,
such as in widening a street, trees
may be cut. African dance in history
has been attacked from various
places and in ways designed to bring
it down. The transition of African
dance has brought some negative
effects as neocolonialism has its
shine, as long as we have the sword
of dance in our hands nothing can
be heard in blame but action. The
time is now; culture is the mother
of wisdom! Culture is the mark of
identity and pride of humanity.
Nelson Mandela once said “the
The Adumu dance of the Masai’s of East Afrika
curious beauty of African music is
that it uplifts even as it tells a sad
cultural finesse, while the Baga peo- between communities, a showcas- tale. You may be poor, you may have
ple would sing for us to glorify the ing of the strength and beauty of only a ramshackle house, you may
institution of motherhood. As we the people, of the dancers and the have lost your job, but that song
dance the Kakilambe, African elders musicians. Dance was the rhythmic gives you hope.” The time is now,
will give answers to where we are adornment of the social fabric of Africa should see the way forward!
going as a continent thereafter, we African society.
are assured that the crops will grow, As the West African dance, the Ka-
health will be well and children will An African proverb says “A letter kilambe, heralds better days, let the
be born safely. from the heart can be read on the East Africans dance the Adumu to
face and the beginning of love is in glorify African soldiers and tell them
Dance is the bare expression of the eye!” If the two cannot say it to bring victory back home. As the
soul; in ancient times it was an well enough then music and dance South African and the whole sub–
outpouring of worship and adora- can express their love more potently! Saharan African dance the songs of
tion to the Creator. A declaration of African dance is complete; and mar- celebration, let Cote d’Ivoire know
thanksgiving for new life, marriage, riage occasions were and are replete that Zouglou dance is the same
good harvest to the provider of all with it. The Nmane of Ghana and as the Sabar of Wolof people in
of these things. Dance was a form Sunu of Mandika people from the Senegal, if not the Sabar, it is equal
of communication to the ancestors, Western Zone, the Mwaga, Runyege, to the Bikutsi or Ambas-i-bay of
a language of farewell to the depart- Ekizino, and Akogo of Bunyoro Cameroon or Bakisiimba of Ugan-
ed, a communication of commiser- and Bagisu from Uganda have all da. That is to say, Africa is one, let’s
ation with the bereaved. Dance was been blessing the marriage institu- come together and dance in pride.
a form of social bonding within and tion with pulsating rhythms in which

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