Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARTS
Music & Dance
TRADITIONAL
Especially in rural areas, it's common for a woman to drop her own name,
and become known as
Mama
followed by the name of her oldest son (or
daughter, if she has no sons).
Tanzanian traditional dance
(ngoma)
creates a living picture, encompassing the entire com-
munity in its message and serving as a channel for expressing sentiments such as thanks and
praise, and for communicating with the ancestors.
The main place for masked dance is in the southeast, where it plays an important role in
the initiation ceremonies of the Makonde (who are famous for their
mapiko
masks) and the
Makua.
NGOMA
The drum is the most essential element in Tanzania's traditional music. The same
word
(ngoma)
is used for both dance and drumming, illustrating the intimate re-
lationship between the two, and many dances can only be performed to the beat
of a particular type of drum. Some dances, notably those of the Sukuma, also
make use of other accessories, including live snakes and other animals. The Maa-
sai leave everything behind in their famous dancing, which is accompanied only
by chants and often also by jumping.
Other traditional musical instruments include the
kayamba
(shakers made with
grain kernels); rattles and bells made of wood or iron; xylophones (also some-
times referred to as
marimbas
);
siwa
(horns); and
tari
(tambourines).
MODERN
JAMAA
In Tanzania, it's sometimes hard to know where the family ends and the
community begins. Doors are always open, helping out others in the
jamaa
(clan, community) is expected and celebrations involve everyone.
The greatest influence on Tanzania's modern music scene has been the Congolese bands that
began playing in Dar es Salaam in the early 1960s, which brought the styles of rumba and
