THE DANCES 

The Kirdi are a group of primitive people living in the mountains of northern Cameroon. For years, these people have resisted the influence of their Muslims neighbors to retain their traditional religions.

The Kirdi’s king is a descendant of the founder of the tribe he has power over all the surrounding lands. The Kirdi people offer sacrifices to their ancestors for protection and blessings on the land.

In this painting the woman are dancing to honor the ancestors, wearing their traditional garments made of a belt and a plaited fiber strip that covers the genitals, as well as a leg gear made of plaited liana that they knock together during the dancer to produce “whoosh” sound.

TM