The Masai Dance

Masai music is incredible, especially so given that – with the exception of kudu horns which are blown on special occasions such as the Eunoto ceremony – there are no instruments at all. 

Everything comes from the voice. Although some tracks may sound a little monotonous to some ears, this is because you – as a listener – are not participating. In reality, everyone sings along, both the morani with their guttural poly rhythms, and the rest of the community, usually in a call-and-refrain pattern. The guttural sound of the warriors is mostly internalized, and is a play on vibrations – the vibrations work more on the singer and his immediate neighbors than on a static audience. 

The resulting polyphonic, multi-part songs – especially those sung by men – have an arresting and immediate beauty, strangely, sinuously powerful and effortlessly hypnotizing.

The peak season for singing and dancing is during the rains, which is of course a propitious time to celebrate important passages of life such as circumcision and marriage.

The usual musical format is a group of men, usually morani warriors, standing either in a row or a circle. The song – which is deeply rhythmical – starts with low grunting from the chests and throats of several men, which almost immediately become disjointed. Each singer has his part, as well as some leeway for improvisation, which together with the parts of the other men, combines to form a wonderfully intricate bass rhythm. 

Actually, that’s not quite right – what they really create is a blend of several rhythms – poly rhythms – over which, once it’s got going, the leader will start to sing short phrases. The grunting – continuous, contiguous, and overlapping – provides a constant sonic base (or buzz, like the shawm and ghaita of North Africa), which, separated from the reality of silence, quickly becomes hypnotic. 

The singers also dance to the music, which invariably involves soloists jumping as high as they possibly can whilst the other singers sway their bodies back and forth. When the dancer is tired, usually after only one or two leaps, another takes his place.

The Masai dance that is repeatedly seen in African documentaries is usually called the “jumping dance”. This particular dance is performed by the men of the village, who leap into the air to show their strength and stamina as tribal warriors. 

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