It has now become tradition for Guludo Beach Lodge and local villages to celebrate the New Year with a Traditional Dance Competition. And each year the competition just keeps getting better.
Each year the lodge invites dance groups from 6 surrounding villages to come and compete for the coveted title of "Best Traditional Dance Group." The competition takes place in Guludo village by the new school and each of the groups gathers together with all their instruments to entertain the crowds. The whole event has a wonderful party atmosphere; Guludo guests are honorary judges (as well as often honorary dancers!), women cook up a delicious goat curry for all the hungry dancers and musicians while the craft groups sit by their displayed products, chatting away in Ki-Muani.
This year the results were very surprising. The proverb "The last shall be first and the first shall be last" springs to mind as the Guludo Grannies lifted the trophy. The dance they performed is the most traditional of all the dances and variations are sung at ALL significant events in Guludo village. These include funerals, circumcisions, weddings, births and when a baby has their hair cut for the first time. It is not a particularly tuneful song as much of it is the ladies grunting to a complicated rhythm! However, the essence of the songs are to ask God to bless either someone or a group.
Second prize went to the all male group called "Matara" (or affectionately known as "number 4" as they often hold their ankle against their shin to make the number "4"!). They have a wonderful drumming group to accompany the dancing led by our very own Bernardo, head of housekeep and football star.
Third place went to last years winners the "Damba" group. They are lead by another local village football star, Aribo, who has an incredible singing voice and the dancers are all young girls. Most of the singing is in Arabic and this group often come down to join us at the beach to dance and sing.
It was a wonderful way to start the year and I know I'm not alone in already looking forward to next year's competition!
