Page 66 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14
P. 66

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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