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Driving through the Kavango Region and reaching our campsite past Rundu- A group of local singers and dancers put on a show for us around the fire. The stage troupe was dressed in costume. The girls' skirts were made of reeds with bottle caps on the ends that made noise as they shook their hips to the beat of the drummers. The upper part of the costume resembled maroon and white bikini tops. The three men wore headdresses of feathers. They sung in their own click language which was interesting to hear in song. During the performance they occasionally selected us to dance with them. I had a blast stomping my feet and clapping to the drums. As seen in this photograph, pauses were held in the show to allow for the tops of the drums (made of animal hides) to be warmed up by the fire for flexibility. Among the many songs and chants, I noticed both the Namibian National Anthem, an African anthem, and at least two religious songs. Another interesting aspect was the way in which the songs were terminated. One of the dancers would move out from the line/formation and dance back to the drummers, give each one recognition, and then the song would end with a bang!
This was one of three traditional dances I observed and participated in during my trip- one by the staff members at the camp in Twyfelfontien and one by the San Bushman in Ghanzi. My favorite was the first one in Twyfelfontien because it was the most traditional, least tourist-catering, performance. They joined us as we were finishing dinner by the campfire. The group was dressed in normal work attire and genuinely enjoyed singing and dancing their hearts out for us. They even gave English a try for one of them. By the end, each member in our group was breathing heavily but with wide smiles on their faces. The San people differed from this in that the women kept the beat and the men danced around the fire (opposite to the previously described group). They were dressed in a dried seedling of some sort around the ankles to make a shaking noise to supplement the clapping. The two babies, just able to walk, kept me entertained by attempting to imitate the men stomping in a circle around the fire.
