Tanzanie

Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa. Its geological upheavals have given rise to exceptional geography, particularly spectacular in the Great Rift Valley where the continent seems to split in two. The surrounding volcanic chain is home to the most beautiful sites in the country.

 

From the Serengeti, the great endless plain, to Lake Victoria whose steel gray waters are shrouded in almost perpetual mists, this country exudes an aura of mystery. From the majestic Kilimanjaro which stands like a gigantic cake whose icy summit peeks above the clouds, to the proud Masai people where shepherds lead their flocks to the watering hole, via Zanzibar and Pemba, the spice islands. An aura of legend emanates from this fascinating land.

 

The highest mountains on the continent, sublime white sand beaches, some of the most beautiful animal reserves on the planet and a wonderfully welcoming population. You can also fly to Zanzibar, its coral reefs, its spices, its dream beaches bordering a turquoise sea, its clove forests, its ancient towns and its fishermen’s “dhows” with sails swollen by the evening breeze. Tanzania offers it all and is a source of inspiration everywhere.

 

The Arab merchants who crisscrossed these East African coasts inspired the fabulous tales of Sinbad the Sailor and the greatest explorers of the Victorian era ventured into the interior of the country. Created in 1964 by the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, Tanzania is a relatively young state. No ethnic group is powerful enough to dominate the others.

 

Artistic expression in all its forms is imbued with a joyful and exuberant naivety. The National Folklore Ensemble “Lumumba” is its most beautiful symbol. Thanks to the work of this company, created in 1997 and directed by Mr. Dyuto KOMBA, music and dance have evolved towards more creativity and authenticity. The “ngoma” refers to both dance and the drum, the true king of traditional Tanzanian instruments. It punctuates arrivals and departures and is used in a dance called “Gobogobo”. It serves to give courage. Among the instruments we can also mention the “marimba”, a kind of piano played with the thumb, the “kayamba”, similar to maracas, the bells, the bells and the “silva” or horns.

 

Entertainment, a way of expressing emotions, dance is also used to communicate with ancestors. The “taarab”, a nighttime show given by a singer accompanied by an orchestra of forty instruments, drums, horns and strings, is very popular in Zanzibar. Women in sparkling evening wear slowly approach the artist while dancing, offering him money to sing verses about their own lives. So, the music mixes Indian, Arab and African influences. This is all that the National Folklore Ensemble “Lumumba” will offer you.