Music as part of life in Kenyan communities

  

Date Posted: 9/23/2011 6:33:24 AM

Posted By: simplis  Membership Level: Bronze  Total Points: 45

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Among most Kenyan communities, music was part and parcel of life. Songs were the characteristic musical expression. Folk songs included courtship and marriage songs, initiation, harvest and rain, death, birth and drinking songs, field work songs among others. In these communities, songs could be accompanied by instruments or not in leader chorus style. These Kenyan communities include the Agikuyu,Akamba,Ameru,Aembu,Abagusii,Abakuria,Abaluhya,Mijikenda,Pokomo for the Bantus, Luo, Iteso, Kipsigis, Nandi, Samburu,Turkana for the Nilotes and Orma, Borana and Somali for the Cushites.

1. Courtship/marriage songs
Marriage was a very important rite of passage among most Kenya communities. This process of marriage was accompanied with various ceremonies, songs and dances included. When the wedding drew closer, people could be seen practicing various songs and dances among the various communities.
The Agikuyu had a song and dance Gitiiro for married women only in preparatory for a wedding. The kangei who are youngest brides and nyakinywa who are mothers with already circumcised children all took part in the dance. As soon as the bridegroom has delivered dowry in form of cows to the bride’s father, women related to the groom assisted with their friends and neighbours,assembled at the brides house at down and sing gitiiro. There is no dancing in the real sense but a lot of rhythmic gesticulations with the head and the body. A solo led them as the other women joined the chorus. After the wedding has taken place the Gikuyu people sung the kiriro song. It was also known as kiriro kia uhiki [bridal lament].It was sung by the bride’s friends and age group who lament the loss of her companionship, who by marriage has moved to another age group.
Among the Luhya communities some wedding songs needed no instrumental accompaniment but only clapping and whistling. Wedding songs included songs sung to scorn and ridicule the family bride

and the bridegroom. The family of the bride will sing to ridicule everything they have been given by the groom’s family as not worth of their daughter. The groom’s family will also sing to jeer at those accompanying the bride, the bride herself as a strumpet, lazy and that their dowry is thrown down to drain.
Like many other Kenyan communities, Lamu people had their wedding music and dance. One of such music was Musondo which was a men wedding dance. It was performed to the accompaniment of kirumbizi and goma drums, gong and nzomari which supplied the melody. Two men danced holding sticks, the aim being one to knock the stick from or out of the others hand.
Many other Kenyan communities had their own wedding music and dances. Like the Gusii, the Enyangi, was performed during wedding ceremonies. This is a clear indication that music was an integral ingredient of wedding/marriage ceremonies among most Kenyan communities.

2. Initiation music/songs and dance
Among most Kenyan communities, for one to be up-graded from one age-group to another, from one class to another, he or she had to pass through certain rites. One such rite was initiation after which one graduated from childhood to adulthood. Initiation took various forms including circurmcision, scarification and removal of lower teeth.
Among the Taita community, it was a shame for a girl to see her first menses before undergoing through initiation. When parents noted this, a big ceremony known as Mwari was organized. This is when the Kishawi dance was performed. It was an initiation dance formerly performed by girls only but nowadays both men and women are allowed. It involved vigorous movement of hips and legs, where feet seem to be being dragged as the arms hang gracefully at the sides. Dancers wear red green and white and adorn themselves with bead on the arms and the neck. Around the waist they wear skin. This initiation song and dance was accompanied by ankle rattles [njuga] and some board hit with staves. This culminated to the initiation of the girls.
The Agikuyu boys who were ready to be circumcised sung the Mumburo. This was done in preparation for the circumcision after the boys have been granted permission by the elders. They decorated their bodies with the red ochre, wearing skin and currying leaves as they danced.
The kipsigis boys prepared themselves a month before the initiated day by dancing every evening. A circumcised young man led the boys to ensure that they mastered everything. The dance had no accompanying instruments. After initiation, they sat under a sacred tree in a circle as the older circumcised boys moved round the seated boys singing and dancing rejoicing for their bravery.
Other communities like the Luhya, Meru, and Pokomo had initiation dance like Bukhulu, Mutirimo and Miri respectively. Many others had their initiation music which they performed during such occasions.

3. Harvest and Rain music
Most Kenyan communities had songs and dances which they performed during drought to ask God to send them rain or to stop rain due to heavy flooding. Some songs were performed to thank God for the good harvest He had given to His people. During such occasions they offered sacrifices and also gave tithes.
The Agikuyu for example had a music known as Mucungwa, a dance where girls and boys danced during and after harvest. They danced in two lines facing each other with some movements to the accompaniment of leg rattles worn by boys.
The Abagusii performed the Ribina song and dance after harvesting and all people can enjoy their produce. It was also performed during the drought periods to ask God to send them rain. The dance took place in the open air and in circles. The inner ring stood facing the outer ring. The participants placed their left hands on the chest while the right was held by a partner. After singing they jumped very high, nodding their heads. Every time jumping stopped, they took two steps backwards and then started again. They asked for rain by elders offering sacrifices to God or gave thanks after harvest.
The Meru danced Renta, meant for every age and sex during harvest.

4. Drinking music/songs and dances
At beer parties Kenyan communities had various songs to mark the party. The Luos for example had Yong’o, which was a women dance at beer parties. A lone dancer stood up after drinking, to show men that she feeling fit. She raises one hand as she sings and dances. Men then responded to the singing.
The Nandi community had Cheptilet.Only old men and a few selected women were allowed to dance at a beer party. When the old folk had gotten drunk, they sat in a circle, with their leader at the centre who in the course of singing mentioned, the name of one of them, who then stepped forward to dance.

5. Birth music/songs and dance
Birth marked the beginning of life in traditional African societies. Various Kenyan communities had various songs and dances to mark the birth of a child. The kipsigis for example had the Yasset which they sung at the birth of a child. People danced not vigorously and it was strictly a dance for women. The husband stayed away from the house and only got information by women singing the Yasset.

6. Death music/songs and dance
Death marked the end of life. Various Kenyan communities had music to accompany such ceremonies, where they expressed sadness and gloom. The Luhya people had the SHIMAMBO among the Isukha.It was performed when a middle aged man or woman died. The Isukuti players are invited to entertain the people present and the bereaved. During the singing, people chant comforting songs to the accompaniment of Olwika.
Among the Jibana, Kimungwe dance was performed on the third and fifth days after burial if the deceased was a member of the dancing group or upon invitation.

All this is a proof that indeed music was part and parcel of life among Kenyan communities.

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