With 42 tribes in Kenya, defining a selected entertainment as ‘traditional’ is almost not possible without going into an excessive treatise on the subject. Every tribe has song, dance, costumes and musical instruments particular to their area. This article offers a brief overview of the types of entertainment, some examples from numerous tribes and the place you could find traditional leisure while you come to Kenya.
Music is a type of traditional entertainment almost globally so it isn’t any shock to search out Kenyan tribes additionally singing. Each of the 42 tribes has their own language, so it is easy to tell the place the tune is from… as long as you may recognise the language! Across the tribes one thing is similar: there are completely different beats and words for songs related with the various ceremonies. This signifies that when a Kikuyu returns to his village and hears singing he can inform what’s happening. It doesn’t suggest nevertheless that if a Taita goes to the Kikuyu village he will even be able to inform what is happening, unless he understands Kikuyu. So each tribe has circumcision songs, party songs, wedding ceremony songs, funeral songs, new baby songs and so on.
Alongside with singing comes dancing and, again, movements differ throughout the tribes. Kikuyus wear bells on their ankles with men and women pairing up, putting palms together and swaying. In Luhya tradition, the dance is all about the shoulders and for Luos it’s in regards to the hips. The Maasai men bounce and it is a show of manliness if they’ll bounce higher than their peers.
Dance is complemented by the traditional costumes which are made from supplies found in a tribe’s area. Luo males wear grass skirts from the reeds by Lake Victoria and cow hide on their back. Towards the coast, Taita males wear kangas from the Swahili culture while the women wear grass skirts. Within the central highlands, the Kikuyus’ costumes are a bit more substantial to protect against the cold, with sheepskin hats complicated many travellers as they look much like the everyday Russian hats! The men typically wear white and the ladies a brown-beige colour. Kikuyu men additionally carry swords and have a belt made of animal skin to carry the sword.
Musical instruments typically accompany the singing and dancing and most people are familiar with the African drum. However there are even differences in how the drum is used across Kenya. For example, the Kamba sit with the drum between their legs while the Luhya hold the drum under their arm. Kamba also use a whistle to signify a beat change.
Story-telling is widespread with the old males teaching lessons by tales to the young boys. Nowadays comedy is turning into fashionable, with sketches performed between music sets. The stories and sketches are often set in on a regular basis situations that Kenyans can easily relate to.
Bomas of Kenya placed on a prolonged efficiency every afternoon which showcases singing, dancing, costumes and musical devices from each of the tribes. Shade Hotel in Karen also does a more casual afternoon of traditional leisure each Sunday and on public holidays. If you happen to visit a Maasai village on your safari, the villagers will perform a welcome dance for you. The Samburu villages do the identical in northern Kenya. Finally, the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival may be the perfect opportunity to see quite a lot of traditional entertainment. A gathering of 14 tribes from northern Kenya, this Festival is a celebration of different cultures living together. They sing, they dance, they build huts, they cook, they dress traditionally – it’s improbable! It’s held each Could in Loiyangalani on the shore of Lake Turkana and well worth the journey.
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