Folk Dance

At the village quarterly coming of age folk dance, the sound of the traditional wandidi could be heard being played by the village musician, Muini.

Wandidi is a string musical instrument known as a fiddle in English. A small bow with a sisal string is used to play it similar to a violin.

The young men and women were adorned in traditional dance attire with beautiful face painting, head and waist beads that enhanced their dance moves.

Young girls were dancing swinging their slender waists to the music while simultaneously and effortlessly tapping their feet adorned with rattles "kigamba" that made beats to accompany the music. The more flexible and smoothly and fluidly one could move their waist and hips, the more the suitors they would attract.

The recently circumcised young men who had just come of age were surveying the girls looking for possible life companions, while others were just enjoying the beautiful ensemble.

The dancers were in the middle and every once in a while a group of three to four girls would move to the outer circle and let another group join the dance. If they made it to catch the attention of a possible suitor, he would then approach her when she was going out of the dance and they would then dance in the mixed group.

Ceri was doing her best not to attract any suitors as she was not interested in getting settled, she had ambition and goals to accomplish with her friend Makena.

They wanted more in life than what this village and the surrounding villages had to offer.