Africa has invaded Chennai Citi Centre. Masks, some of them life-sized, adorn the atrium. Totemic in significance, these crafted faces usher in a tribal atmosphere. A group of four performers from Mombasa, Kenya complete the picture. Dressed to resemble tigers, they perform acts that can be mastered only through a lifetime of practice. The Mombasa Carnival is here, a non-ticketed event that will be on till November 28 at the mall.
They start with the Limbo Dance, where the dancer goes under a flaming rod. Barak, one of the four performers, bends and goes under the rod without breaking the rhythm. He repeats the performance when the rod is lowered. When the rod is just 8 inches above the floor, he goes for it again.
The four performers — Juma, Barak, Sanga and Safari — now launch themselves in to body gymnastics, bending their limbs to form a range of shapes.
The four then clamber up a vertical pole and perform mind-boggling balancing acts.
These acts constitute only a portion of what the group will perform in the days to come. There are four evening shows, at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Each show will be different; the last one will be a mix of elements from the earlier shows.
In addition to these performances, a lucky dip too has been organised for the shoppers.
