When the Divine artist decides to spring-up a tricolour canvas and you are a small dot in its expanse, it is a mesmerising experience. A cloudless blue sky, a flaming brown wilderness and patches of red , are all part of Kenya’s forbidding Masai Mara, home to the ancient tribe of East Africa.
A deep, rhythmic grunting emerges from Mara’s pristine stillness, punctuated by an occasional gazelle dashing through the bushes, and it becomes a crescendo as one approaches a traditional Masai village where an ancient Lion Dance with lean, sturdy lads in red, is all set to climax.
Erstwhile lion hunters, the Masais have an intriguing story to tell. With most members of the community being fluent in English, they explain their musical traditions to enthusiasts from the world over. The Lion Dance, a leitmotif of the clan, comprises the ‘Adumu’ or high jump where the male members of the community take turns to jump. The one who jumps the highest wins a girl! The main vocalist or Olayanrani sings the Namba, the principle theme of the song composed in the Ma language. He is accompanied by backup singers in a fine chorus.
Armed with spears, clubs and sticks, their spontaneous, yet harmonious gyrations accompanied by the rhythmic grunting signifying the lion’s roar, create an unexplained trance. Every rendition is based on call-and-response as is the case with many indigenous tribal styles, and the rhythm is called ‘Laleyio’. Full-throated shrieks give the performances a raw energy.
Despite Africa being the haven of musical instruments, surprisingly, the Masai musical ceremonies are devoid of any, except for the horn of the ‘Kudu’, from the antelope family. Its short, deep, yet soft tones cast a spell. The human voice, they believe, is the greatest and the most natural instrument. While the Masai men are draped in bright red robes, wear wigs and exquisite jewellery, the women are in brightly coloured robes and have intricate head jewellery. The dances of the women are generally sombre. They walk in circles holding their babies, with minimal hand movements and sing of fertility, healthy offspring and blessings for happy family lives. Kenya also boasts of other tribes and their rich musical traditions.
The ‘Luo’ tribe of western Kenya (of President Obama’s forefathers) are known for their many fascinating instruments. The ‘Nyatiti’, or ‘bowl lyre’ is a massive five to eight stringed lyre with a large resonator and an ethereal sound. The player sits on a traditional three-legged stool and often sings as he plays. The ‘Orutu’, a small single-stringed spike fiddle made of wood and bamboo, is played with a D-shaped bow. With the resonator towards the chest, it is played like a violin but almost perpendicular to the ground. Moving eastwards, coastal Kenya has a diverse musical culture. Mombasa, the port city, has a large Indian community. Its music stands out from the rest of the country. With Arabic, local, and Indian influences, the ‘taarab’ genre typical to coastal east Africa enlivens spirit with peppyand melodious numbers. Singers such as Zuhura Swaleh with her moving, earthy voice and rustic undertones, became a legend. Professor Juma Bhalo, known as Africa’s ‘King of Taarab’ showed Indian influences and even had many of his numbers picturised with scenes from Bollywood hits.
Being predominantly Christian, Gospel music is popular in Kenya. Church services accompanied by dancing and traditional instruments are enriching. It is believed that a young rhino eats only when Black Gospel music is played on the speakers. This shows how Kenya’s music has cast its spell on even the Big Five (the lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant).
