Kolem by Belen Larrubia

KOLEM

The last “El Molo” Djembe

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KOLEM

Lariyon Writter

6 Naasir Photography

Namusungu Photografy

Lariyon Writter

Naasir Photography

Namusungu Photografy

Naasir Photography

Lariyon Writter

Namusungu Photografy

CATTLE-LEAPING CEREMONY IN HAMAR TRIBE Omo valley Ethiopia The Hamar live on the eastern side of the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. After theharvests, the cattle-leaping ceremonies take place. These rites are a way for male teensto officially pass into adulthood. It grants them the right to marry, own cattle, and havekids. Before the ceremony, the “jumper” shaved half of his head and removes all clothingso he is completely naked. The jumper’s female relatives, covered in animal skins, butter, and ocher, danse in a circle while blowing into horns. The elders wear their best clothes to attend the ceremony such as blankets made in China. They also cover their legs with a special and expensive green mud. Some tourists are permitted to watch the ceremony after paying a fee. It’ s a way for the Hamar to cover the expenses of two days of partying. The Hamar dislike having their picture taken since the elders still believe that it drains their blood. “Mazas” are men who have already leapt across the cattle, but are still single. They live apart from the rest of the tribe, moving from ceremony to ceremony. The “Mazas” whip all the jumper’s female relatives except his mother. These women fight to be whipped first by the Maza to prove their love and their strength. The Mazas seem timid faced with the fervor of the women. Young girls are discouraged from getting whipped, even if they dance and sing in the ceremony. This woman wears a necklace indicating that she is a first wife. Among the polygamous Hamar, the second and third wives are treated like slaves. Even while the Maza prepare for the ceremony in the bush, the women keep on harassing them to whip them. The Maza put on special adornments and purify themselves before going to select the cattle for the jumper, A new seat will be given to the jumper, commemorating the event and symbolizing his new status in the tribe. Concentration before the jump: For the “Ukuli”,or jumper, to fall during the ceremony the is considered shameful and bad luck. A single fall isblamed on the movement of the animals. Any boywho fails to complete a minimum of four runs(two back and forth), however, will be publicly humiliated: he will be whipped by his femalerelatives, teased, insulted, and beaten. Before the jump, all the women gather together next to the cattle.

Eric Lafforgue, Photography and text.

THE LAST “EL MOLO” The El Molo live around Lake Turkana, the largest desert lake in the world. The El-Molo are the smallest ethnic group in Kenya, numbering only 200 pureblooded people. They are the shortest and poorest of Kenya’s ethnic groups. They have always been a peaceful, quiet, and non-violent - unlike their neighbors. They are against killing people and raiding for cattle. They are now gathered into two villages, Anderi and Illah, with 200 and 100 inhabitants respectively. The El-Molo still live in small iglooshapedhuts made of acacias and palm trees, built on the shore of Lake Turkana. These are slowly being replaced by concrete homes. Their net fishing technique is 3000 years old.

The lunar cycle

The lunar cycle dictates when they go net fishing. They use small rafts made of 3 palm tree trunks, and handmade harpoons. Modern boats and equipment are too expensive for them. Their diet is largely composed of fish. Occasionally they eat turtles and crocodiles from the lake. Their environment is too arid to raise cattle. They don’t eat any fruits or vegetables either since the regçion is too dry to grow food and they are too far from any marketplace. The main local fish are catfish, tilapia, and Nile perch (up to 2 meters long and 200 kg for one fish!) Until recently, the El Molo didn’t have any fresh water. The government then set up water tanks for them, but they still drink the

salt water from the lake. The water is potable, but not palatable. Before, the El Molo hunted hippos. The hippo hunter used to be celebrated as a hero. Today, since the hippo is protected, hunting it is prohibited. The chief says, “the best bit is the filet”. The hippo is for El Molo what the lions are to Maasai! The El Molo sometimes eat crocodile meat, especially when they are entertaining guests. There are 10,000 crocodiles in the lake and accidents still happen when the El Molo men go fishing. Salty alkaline water from the lake, malnutrition, and unbalanced protein-rich diets result in an array of health issues for the El Molo. There are many with bone deformities, even children. Some adults are unable to walk because of painful bones.Many in the village have dental diseases and infirmities. Many have strabismus. The winds are very strong in the region. The El Molo remove the dust from the eye of a friend by blowing into it. Until recently, the tribe has always intermarried. This may have contributed to their recessive genes, which expose them to disease and early aging. Temperatures They also suffer from a high fluoride intake, which causes discoloring of teeth. In one of the hottest places on earth, many people suffer from the sun. Temperatures can reach up to 50 Celsius. Their brown colored hair reveals their dietary deficiencies. They live at most to 45 years of age.

40 is considered old in the tribe as a 40 year-old can look 70. They were monogamous even before Christianity arrived. They also keep long lapses between childbirth since women breastfeed until the child is independent. It is a natural contraception. They limit the births because of the scarcity of food. The El Molo wear necklaces and bracelets made of colored beads. Nowadays, only the elders dress in a traditional way. As they live close to the water and are often wet, the El Molo people never developed body painting practices. 100 El Molo kids go to school, sometimes just to have lunch. They all became christians in the 60s when the missionaries arrived. This protected them from the pastoralist enemy tribes who were constantly invading them. They combine their ancestral traditions with their new religious beliefs. For example, an El Molo woman will wear a tribal necklace and a cross simultaneously.

Languaje

The El Molo language is now extinct. The last man to speak it died in 1974. They had 8 words just for the wind. Researchers trying to rebuild the language have recorded 600 words. An El Molo girl whose parents are El Molo and Turkana. Intermarriage with other tribes was formerly forbidden in the El Molo culture, but the El Molo population was so endangered that the government encouraged them to marry with the Turkana, Samburu and Rendille tribes(formerly their enemies). In the old times,the Sam-

buru and Gabbra used to raid andint he process kidnap small girls to raise and marry. Fish catches are always decreasing. They don’t eat any fruits or vegetables either since the region is too dry to grow food and they are too far from any marketplace. The main local fish are catfish, tilapia, and Nile perch (up to 2 meters long and 200 kg for one fish!) Until recently, the El Molo didn’t have any fresh water. The government then set up water tanks for them, but they still drink the salt water from the lake. The water is potable, but not palatable. The chief says, “the best bit is the filet”. The hippo is for El Molo what the lions are to Maasai! The El Molo sometimes eat crocodile meat, especially when they are entertaining guests. There are 10,000 crocodiles in the lake and accidents still happen when the El Molo men go fishing. Salty alkaline water from the lake, malnutrition, and unbalanced protein-rich diets result in an array of health issues for the El Molo. There are many with bone deformities, even children. Some adults are unable to walk because of painful bones.

THE HIMBAS Himba pastoralists live in the Kaokoland, an extensive territory in northwest Namibia bordering Angola in the north along Cunene river. The Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton coast form its Western boundary. Some Himba, locally referred to as “Hererotracht”, were evangelized by German missionaries in the 18th century and began to wear Victorian-style clothes. The Himba are related to the Herero people. Approximately 10,000 Himba live i in Kaokoland and 3,000 others live in Angola. The Himba live in small villages that usually accommodate one large family. Enclosures for the cattle (“krall”) are situated in the center of camp, encircled by huts. A fence made of Mopane wood, a strong and very durable material, surrounds the village. Each Himba village has a “Okoruwo”, a holy fire kept constantly burning that represents the ancestors. It is located between the entrance of the krall and the west-facing door to the chief’s home (the “Ondjuwo Onene”). It’s taboo to cross this invisible line between the two. The houses are made of mud and cow dung. These materials stay cool during the hot days and maintain their heat during the cold nights. The weather is extreme in northern Namibia. In summer, temperatures reach 45 degrees, while in winter,

they drop to what feels like freezing point! The Himbas move from place to place to find better graze for the goats, but use to come back in the same villages. Inside the houses, cowhides serve as beds. Various goat and cow hides, used both as clothing and for special celebrations, cover the walls. The Himba sleep on wooden pillows to ensure that they don’t mess up their intricate hairdos. Every morning the women milk the goats. According to a local proverb, “A Himba is nothing without his cattle.” The Himba almost exclusively derive their sustenance from cows and goats, which provide meat and milk. In Himba society, women tend to have the most difficult daily tasks such as gardening, milking the livestock, caring for the cattle, constructing houses, and carrying water and wood. The men on the other hand handle political administration and legal trials.

Eric Lafforgue, Photography and text.

Village

Women removing ticks from a goat foot. Despite the fact that they are living in small villages, the Himba are relatively wealthy, with hers that can reach up to 200 cows. They will never disclose how many cows they have since they keep it secret to avoid attracting thieves. The size of a Himba man’s herd reflects his social status. A man without cattle, or that owns just a few, is unworthy of respect. The word “Tijmba”, which means “Himba without cattle”, is used as an insult. In the Himba culture, the sign of wealth is not the beauty of your grave, but rather the quantity of cattle you owned during your lifetime, represented by the amounts of horns. Himba women spend several hours each morning making themselves as beautiful as possible. Their first task is to take care of their dreadlocks. One misconception about the Himba is that they never bathe. If they have access to water, they’ll gladly take a bath, but since they live in arid places, they don’t often get the opportunity. When they do have water, they share it. This in turn leads to huge problems like tuberculosis, the second most common cause of death in Namibia.

Curiosity

Himba women are famous for their beauty and adornments. In recent years, they collect beer and soda bottle caps to make some incredible wigs. This physical beauty is contrasted with the simplicity of their houses, which are made from whatever they can find, making the Dassanech look like homeless people. Every man has a gun and a wooden pillow, the two things they never leave home without! The ceremony starts with dances and gun shotsâ&#x20AC;Ś Real ones! They start to kill some cows for a giant BBQ. The best parts of the cows are kept in the middle of the camp and monitored by guards. Eating meat is a rare treat, since cows, being very expensive, are hardly ever slaughtered. Then, they put the stomachs of the cows on the ground as everyone gathers round. I think they are going to read the future in the entrails as many tribes do, but no. Instead they all queue, a man opens the stomachs with a giant knifeâ&#x20AC;Ś Everybody takes some of the contents and rubs it their chest, back, legs, arms, heads, and faces. Some even put the apply it on the back of a friend, like we would do with sunscreen, a very nice gesture in the Dassanech culture.

Eric Lafforgue, Photography and text.

Eric Lafforgue, Photography and text

TURKANA No human should be able to live in these conditions and yet 250,000 Turkana people are living here.Their territory extends to northern Kenya around Lake Turkana, and on the boundaries with south Sudan and Ethiopia. In 1975, the lake (400 km long, 60 large) was named after them. The Lake Turkana region presents a lunar landscape, covered in black volcanic rocks. It’s an extremely inhospitable environment for humans. There is no potable water and limited pastures. The rainfall averages is less than 6 inches a year.

Turkana man

A Turkana man will do all he can to make sure that his women folk are dressed in beads of class. Even if some are not able to take their girls to school, they will still ensure that they have beads. The traditional skirt called « abuo » is usually made from tanned goat skins. The brown color is the most seen. During the day the high temperatures (up to 45°C) are come with strong winds (up to 11 meters per second), pushing dust. The Turkana live in small households. Inside live of a man, his wives (as he can marry more than one), their children and sometimes some dependent old people. The house is called « awi ». It is built with wood, animal skin, and doum palm leaves.

Turkana womens

Turkana man will do all he can to make sure that his women folk are dressed in beads of class. Even if some are not able to take their girls to school, they will still ensure that they have beads. The traditional skirt called ÂŤ abuo Âť is usually made from tanned goat skins. The brown color is the most seen. Turkana women put grease paint on their bodies which is made from mixing animal fat with red ochre and the leaves of a tree to have nice perfume. They say it is good for the skin and it protects from the insects. Women also put animal fat all around their neck and also on their huge necklaces to prevent from skin irritation. The Turkana enjoyed to have labrets, but nowadays, only the elders can be seen with on. They used to put an ivory lip plug, then a wood one, and for some years, they use a lip plug made of copper or even with plaited electric wires.The hole between the lower lip and chin is pierced using a thorn. The is useful to spit through the gap of the teeth, without even opening the mouth. Women become adult when they reach puberty. Unlike many other tribes in Kenya, the Turkana do not practice FGM and circumcision.

DJEMBE Before the Djembe music at some point in history a group of Mande people left the area between North Guinea and Bamako in Mali and headed towards the Senegambia region, and became the Mandinka people. In Senegambia the Mandinka dance to a 3 drum ensemble of three drums, the kutirindingo, kutiriba and sabaro. These are very similar in appearance and playing style to the Wolof people who live in the same area.The Maninka dancing of Mali and Guinea is accompanied with music by djembes and 1 - 3 dunduns. The division between these 2 styles of centres around the crossroads town of Tambacounda in Senegal. To the west of Tambacounda the Mandinka ensemble is prominant, to the east the Maninka ensemble is used. The djembe was brought on tour in the early 1950s by Guinean Fodeba Keita, founder of Les Ballet Africains. A lead drummer from Les Ballet Africains, Ladji Camara relocated to the United States in the early 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and there was immediately a great interest in this type of music. There has also been a massive surge since the late 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when Seckou Toure (then president of Guinea) died. Former ballet troupes of

Guinea, as well as Mali and Senegal began to settle in western countries to teach and perform. Some dancing is viewed as play (tulon) or entertainment (nyenaje). Other occassions for djembe drumming and dancing are very serious. With a few exceptions drums are the instruments of choice for dancing. Traditionally djembe rhythms and their corresponding dances would have been associated with specific occassions, with each rhythm having a time and place. These days rhythms and dances may be performed at a wider range of events. Djembe drumming is a communal event that demands participation from everybody there is the form or clapping, singing and dancing. By participating you honour the people being celebrated. The most common occassions for drum and dance events of the Mande people surround two major lifecycle events: circumcision/excision ceremonies and marriages.

Djembe drumming music At some point in history a group of Mande people left the area between North Guinea and Bamako in Mali and headed towards the Senegambia region, and became the Mandinka people. In Senegambia the Mandinka dance to a 3 drum ensemble of three drums, the kutirindingo, kutiriba and sabaro. These are very similar in appearance and playing style to the Wolof people who live in the same area. The Maninka dancing of Mali and Guinea is accompanied with music by djembes and 1 - 3 dunduns. The division between these 2 styles of centres around the crossroads town of Tambacounda in Senegal. To the west of Tambacounda the Mandinka ensemble is prominant, to the east the Maninka ensemble is used. Djembe drumming has no hereditary restictions on who may play it. The djembe is associated with the numu (blacksmiths) and many djembe players bear numu familiy names like Camara, Kante, and Doumbia. Playing djembe carries a certain stigma among horon (freeborn, nonartisanal) families. There are hundreds of drums throughout West Africa but the djembe is one of few that is played with both bare hands. Of all the drums played with the hands it has itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skin pulled tightest and can produce the widest range of notes from deep thundering basses to cracking slaps. The popularity of djembe music continues to grow all over the world and people are learning how to play djembe in almost every country in the world.

INTERVIEW

Name: Lariyon

Age: 15 Location: North Kenya

Name: Namusungu

Age: 18 Location: Namusungu

Name: Naasir

Age: 21 Location: Dassanech

She is pastoralist and semi nomadic. She have passion for beaded jewelry. Beaded adornments are worn mainly for their beauty, but it also can tell about relationships or special events. It is not only tradition, but a sophisticated and evolving fashion! From their young age, Samburu girls are offered strings of beads by their fathers. The first layers of necklaces are usually red, as it means the girl is engaged. It can be at a very early age… Before getting married, teenagers enjoy a degree of sexual freedom. You can spot them with the heavy beaded necklaces , given to them by their boyfriend, a Moran (warrior) usually from her clan or even her family. The girls become nekarai: steady girlfriends and sexual partners. At this occasion, her parents must build her a house, where the Moran is allowed to engage in sexual activity with her.

She has been circumcised one year ago, and is a Moran: « to show my love to my girlfriend, I need to buy her a huge necklace, but the priced is too high for me, so I have to conduct a raid with my warrior friends in the neighbouring tribes to steal them some cows. Then I’ll sell the cows to get some money ». The price of the necklaces can be up to 100 us dollars, and must be purchased from Nairobi, a huge amount for those nomads. The neck of the girls and their necklaces are smeared with red ochra to avoid skin scratching. The women wear a lot of decoration on the head, made from Entai (buttons), from Ntarangrang (sequins) and Sayen (beads). All those decorations are expensive and most of the times, they exchange goats against them. The beads will show status and wealth.

Every man has a gun and a wooden pillow, the two things they never leave home without! The ceremony starts with dances and gun shots… Real ones! They start to kill some cows for a giant BBQ. The best parts of the cows are kept in the middle of the camp and monitored by guards. Eating meat is a rare treat, since cows, being very expensive, are hardly ever slaughtered. Some even put the apply it on the back of a friend, like we would do with sunscreen, a very nice gesture in the Dassanech culture. Some men bring shit to offer to friend. The finest BBQ meat is offered to the chiefs and the warriors. Everybody eats without setting down their Kalashnikovs. The peace agreement has been sealed by the feast. Everybody returns home, the chief of the village goes back in his hut with a cow leg he’ll keep inside!

Even taking into account the great musical diversity in Africa , we can generalize that music and dance are inseparable throughout the continent. Whenever you hear singing and clapping, or the rhythms of a drum , you can almost guarantee that someone nearby is dancing. One always attracts the other.