Traditional Music and Dance

African traditional music is an experience that is meant to be felt rather than just heard. It's an art form that requires the assimilation of sound through the body. Drums play a vital role in African music, while the thumb played Mbira produces a haunting and melodious tone that is essential to the quality of the music.

Music is an integral part of tribal life and is played on every occasion. For dancing, the style is flamboyant, and the manyawi, the spirit of expression and excitement, is allowed to develop the pace and tempo of the tune. On solemn occasions, the music is in keeping with ancient rituals, both controlled and emotional. Performers experience kudzamirwa, a deep sense of movement. Their performances are restrained and profound, often leading to a state of spirit possession.

African songs express everyday events in the lives of the people. The Nurse's Song, for example, is sung to a baby when its mother is working in the fields, while the Presentation Song is sung by the midwife when presenting a newborn baby to the father. The Threshing Song, War Song, and Hunting Song are all descriptive music of tribal life. Usually, song lyrics are repetitive, like the children's song in which the children sing, "The eagle has gone away," and the chorus replies, "So we go round and round." This repetition continues as the children dance in a circle.

In summary, traditional African music is a rich cultural experience that involves the assimilation of sound through the body. Drums and the thumb-played Mbira are essential to the quality of the music. Music is a significant aspect of tribal life, expressing everyday events through songs that are often repetitive.