Danish festival puts Sukuma dance in limelight
Dar es Salaam. Dance is an integral part of any given culture for it is considered as one of the most effective and ways of communication.
People all over the world have their traditional dancing styles that not only reflect their unique way of life but also their history and culture
Traditional dances are not only a form of pleasure and entertainment, but rather a way of bringing people and communities together and building solidarity.
In Africa, traditional dances are also used as a way of preserving culture through costumes that dancers wear and through stories told in the songs, molding the behavior of community members so as to abide by norms and culture.
The dances also encourage cooperation, hard work, and economic growth and are renowned for being filled with breathtaking showmanship and incredible feats of ingenuity and courage without threatening other communities.
Tanzania has over 125 tribes, each with a unique cultural identity with breathtaking dancing skills that leave visitors mesmerized on many occasions.
But though these dances are popular rarely do you find communities outside Tanzania performing these wonderful moves.
On one of his journeys film maker Richard Magumba explores the Sukuma dance called Ilelekejo which has become popular in Denmark as part of his documentary.
“I am currently filming a documentary on the Sukuma traditional dances called ‘Ilolekejo’ a Sukuma word for ‘use your side mirror to look at where you came from’ as a way to preserve and motivate them to value their culture through traditional dances,” says Magumba.
He adds: I was invited to attend a Sukuma traditional dance festival in Ramten Skov, Denmark in 2017 known as the Utamaduni Cultural Camp organized by the Utamaduni Cultural Association to experience and observe what takes place at the camp and get footage for my documentary.
The festival is an annual event which takes place every year in July for a week, where people from Denmark and other countries together with mentors of Sukuma dance groups from Tanzania gather and participate in the culture and traditions of the Sukuma people.
According to Richrad Magumba whose documentary is almost complete, participants get a rare opportunity to learn to play the drums and learn different Sukuma dances such as the Sogota and Bunungule.
But as Magumba parked his bag and lenses for the trip he didn’t know what lay in waiting for him in the Scandinavian country.
“When I arrived at the camp, I was in shock and couldn’t film for almost two days as I was amazed by the level of which the Sukuma culture was being preserved thousands of miles away from Tanzania,” says Magumba.
According to the filmmaker it was surprising to see a culture of people who live in a different continent thousands of miles away being preserved in a European country by a community with completely different cultures and traditions.
Organisers say the Utamaduni Camp was started in 1977 and have been holding such festivals for the past 40 years taking Sukumaland to Denmark.
“I was fascinated by the Sukuma community in Denmark who despite of living there for many years and others being born there, still preserve the Sukuma culture,” says Magumba.
The Sukuma community there has had a major contribution to the camp in terms of teaching dances and other Sukuma cultures at the Camp.
When he came home he shared the experience he had at the camp with other people through the teaser and photos he took while at the camp and it also sparked some raw emotions of happiness and intrigue.
Many have since expressed interest of attending the camp in the future.
“I was happy to see how our dances are preserved by some European communities, this has motivated me to value and preserve my culture as well. It also makes me want to learn more about the Danish.”
However what is even more amazing according to Magumba the festival is that it is organized by a Danish cultural Association which was formed by a group of Danes who were fascinated about the Sukuma culture.
Given the experience that the filmmaker experienced at the Utamaduni Camp in in Ramten Skov, Denmark, he just can’t wait to go back this summer.
The name “Utamaduni”, a swahili word meaning “culture”, was adopted by the dance troupe after a Danish cultural exchange with the Sukuma tribe in Tanzania in 1977. The exchange project in which the Danes also performed their traditional dance, was called “The cultural bridge”.)
From that early beginning of cultural exchange, rich and fertile images of African culture were absorbed by the “Danes” – all thanks to the Sukuma people.
Since then Utamaduni has woven a tapestry of dance, drum, and song rhythms into a bond of friendship with local farmers and handicraft artists, and has inspired more than 25 Danish dance troupes that meet weekly for dance and workshops.
The Utamaduni Dance Troupe brings alive Africa with its colourful and expressive performance.
Both the young and old are fascinated by the interaction of the big drums and the dancers, and enjoy invitations from the troupe to join the dance.
Richard Magumba is a Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Photographer and freelance Tanzanian Filmmaker with years of experience in the film industry. He began his career by collaborating with veteran filmmakers both from within and outside Africa.
He later trained at the Maisha Film Lab, Kampala Uganda and the University of Dar es Salaam where he excelled in video production. He enjoys working with clients, who range from public and private organisations to individuals, from concept development all the way to post-production to visually articulate and bring to life their thoughts and imaginations.
His skilled work and passion for what he does has brought him into contact with various organisations such as African Pictures, World Lung Foundation, International Labour Organization ILO, Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief CPAR, Under The Same Sun UTSS, ABC News, Sepia Films, International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN to mention a few.
