ONE EVENING

A memorable evening with the Masai dancers in Masaimara  - a picture that would remain etched in my mind forever for reasons more than one.

Everyone was a bit lazy. We had just got back to our hotel room, from an exciting tour which took up the entire day in the game reserves of Masai Mara in Kenya. We had gone to the National reserves to see a great variety of wild animals there, like antelopes, giraffes , zebras , elephants , leopards buffaloes , lions etc. In two days we had seen and learnt a lot of exciting new things.

Masai men are the semi- nomadic group in Kenya. They are originally cattle herders and are well known for their skills in the use of weapons, to kill animals, especially lions. The symbol of their shield and spears in Kenya’s national flag represents their freedom and their willingness to defend it at the cost of their lives. They are Kenya’s most well-known tribe and fierce warriors.

We were almost a world apart regarding our look and culture. In the beginning it seemed we were rather alien to each other and to some extent tried to maintain our respective aloofness but very soon an emotional bond grew among us. We didn’t understand why and how?—perhaps it was their innocent smiles and expressions that was so captivating or a compassion had developed, as we were the members of the same African origin. We had just got scattered all over the world over the past thousands of years. In spite of our differences I was looking forward to see where we agreed. I wanted to befriend them, but unfortunately we were rather short of time.

We started packing at eight at night- very reluctantly and finished in about half an hour. From the next day onwards, we would not see this place again. We would be back in India.

A strong mental desire, pestered me to explore the life of our so called ancestors more intensely, to have a clearer image of what they thought, felt and to form a sensible opinion about them. To educate myself.

That night hotel management had issued a notice saying, “Native dance tonight.” This was a famous traditional “Jumping dance” of these Masai people. The young Masai men or Moran (warrior youth) leapt into the air from their standing position in order to demonstrate their strength and agility. This jump helped them control wild animals like lions and other animals in the forest. This was also called the lion’s dance. In this dance the main singer made a running commentary on how to hunt for the lion and everything else that happened in their life which they depict through their song. Until recent years they were required to kill a lion in order to earn the right to have a wife. This practice of killing the lion though dying these days.

The management had not specified a time for the dance. So we went early to have our last meal there, and wait for the dance to begin.

I had a glimpse of some young men in the garden dressed in gorgeous colorful attires that evening. They could have been the performers –but I couldn’t be too sure.

As dinner got over our excitement seemed to increase. We expected those dancers to come in front of us any moment. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to get to know them better.

Unfortunately they kept us waiting for a long time.

Suddenly a soft rhythmic murmur drew our attention to the entrance. We were greeted by a group of male dancers in their traditional dresses and jewelries. They entered bunched together like a meandering caterpillar in all its glory, dazzling us with their colours. Their dark black, half-bent bodies were clad in blazing red dresses. They were making a low and continuous sound from their throat.

Apparently they camouflaged themselves as very docile, passive and humble human beings, not very jubilant type. Their dreamy eyes conveyed the impression that their very existence was so sorrowful and life was so hard to live. But, in the inside they were just the opposite. They were in fact the most feared warriors from their tribe. To be so completely different at the same time. How interesting! Their mood could be changed anytime into fierce fighters if their situations required them be so. Simplicity was not their weakness but a distinctive characteristic.

Gradually their murmuring turned into a rhythmic grunting--an imitation of lion’s roar.

They approached us steadily. In this "Lion’s Dance" the main singer begins the theme of the song called "Numba” and then the rest join in. The song is based on call and response principles. The main singer is called “Olaranyani”. They would punctuate the song with embellishments like open hearted shrieks and shrill yodels. This was no ordinary song. Somewhere it assembled the warriors life as it is, it made us understand how the animal instinct in them (which the urban man had already shed) was still live and kicking in them.

Soon they ran around in circles in a wild behaviour with clubs and sticks in their hands. The lion’s roar sound was their constant accompany throughout their dance. Those people were actually looking fierce at that moment. Though they were smiling at us at intervals but their white teeth embedded in their jet black mouths were a bit scary. Half animal reflexes captivated in a half rational human body? “What could be their actual mind set?” I asked myself.

We watched them in astonishment - these original people of Africa.

Their leader-- knobby-nosed, healthy, slightly domineering, was very lively. He was sweeping over his eyes on his spectators every now and then with a good smile. He looked very cool and composed and maintained a dignity all through. His sweet personality was remarkable.

He was tapping the ground with his long stick while the other dancers, clean-shaven bony type were following their action task-master. Occasionally the leader pushed his feet against the floor to launch himself into the air stretching his body at full length and jumped one after another. The other dancers were following him too. They were uttering the song with their thick lips and were expecting applauses from the spectators for their bravery they had to show in their real life. Their hands were quick to fly up with their sticks and fall down. Their delicate long legs showed their strength they preserved in their body to hunt ferocious animals. Leader’s tone of voice was rounding, full and deep.

We were so amazed by them! We held our attentions firmly to ensure even some more exciting pieces from them very passionately. None of them looked a bit self-conscious even though they were all so young. They had already reached a certain level of maturity unknown to people their age.

They were aware of the audience and alert to what was expected of them in that performance. It was really a clever thing on their part. I appreciated that very much.

Though we couldn’t understand their language a single bit, but they changed the atmosphere around us with vibrating messages that our looks ,languages, cultures religions might be different but the outpouring of emotions were same everywhere. Here we could mingle with each other very comfortably. They could express everything they felt with their dreamy eyes.

Neither they were a finished product of our so called high society, I sensed, nor they were able to explore their own potentialities in full length as we often do in our modern age still they conveyed something very successfully which touched our heart.

There had always been this dormant desire to comprehend them in full form from within with the help of my third eye, something which our open eyes cannot see-- to some extent that was rewarded .

The main singer in the meantime kept alluring the visitors to join them

One young man from the spectators who had been watching them so long engrossed

enthusiastically came forward. He looked very happy but unfortunately what seemed very easy from outside took a toll upon him. He got injured very soon. He missed his landing while jumping high. Landing softly was an art what he learnt from them later on. We were very much amused!

One hour passed in a wink. We wanted their company a little longer but the programme had to end. We all shouted “Asante Sana” which meant “Thank you”.

The performers vanished into the darkness outside our Hotel just as they had emerged an hour ago .We were very thankful to the Hotel Management for this event.

That was a memorable evening! The picture of these loving Masai men would remain etched in my mind forever.