(via Nag on the Lake)For centuries in Rwanda, drumming was an activity reserved exclusively for men. Women were not permitted to touch the drums or even approach the drummers. In 2004, Odile Gakire Katese created the first-ever Rwandan female drumming ensemble, Ingoma Nshya (New Drum) in Kinyarwanda. pic.twitter.com/6yPkHkktjW
— Mzilikazi wa Afrika (@IamMzilikazi) September 6, 2021
Saturday, September 18, 2021
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5 comments:
OMG that is gorgeous to hear and to see. I want at least an hour long video of this, or more.
Good for them! Drumming is such a powerful and affirming activity.
Many more videos on YouTube. Just search Ingoma Nysha.
The first two lines of the Tweet spell it out — For centuries in Rwanda, drumming was an activity reserved exclusively for men. Women were not permitted to touch the drums or even approach the drummers.
Right or wrong, whether for religious purposes or other reasons, this is somewhat of a cultural custom and tradition ... and sometimes it is better to leave well enough alone.
It would be same thing with the tradition and symbolism of the Maori 'hakas', for example, if everyone started doing them... because when you get right down to it, a haka is nothing more than a series of synchronized, choreographed movements accompanied by a chant — and, with sufficient practice, could be done by almost high school swing or show choir (think 'Glee') in this or any other country.
-"BB"-
That's why it should be left up to Rwanda. After the 1994 genocide, 70% of the population were women. From an interview with Odile Gakire Katese:
The tradition of drumming in Rwanda is dying. It is not practiced anymore. If anything, female drummers are keeping tradition alive. The only drummers remaining in this country—it’s us! In Rwanda, traditionally, drumming has a sexual connotation; the drumsticks being the male genital organ, the drums being the female genital organ. Thus, naturally, we cannot play the drums, these people claim. Yet culture is dynamic. I find it remarkable that we even need to have this discussion. Don’t just close that door of opportunity for us, but shift your perception. We can’t transform ourselves into men. All we want to do is play the drums. We bemoan that our heritage is forgotten; at the same time, we build obstacles for those who make contributions in culture. In a nutshell, drumming made me a feminist. This is where we are now. Other drumming groups don’t need to worry about legitimacy; we, in contrast, need to negotiate ours.
https://tomtommag.com/2018/09/kiki_katese_issue33/
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