Ngoma music

rdf:langString Ngoma music

rdf:langString Ngoma (also ng'oma or ing'oma) is a Bantu term with many connotations that encompasses music, dance, and instruments. In Tanzania ngoma also refers to events, both significant life-changing events such as the first menstruation or the birth or passing of a loved one, as well as momentary events such as celebrations, rituals, or competitions. Ngoma was the primary form of culture throughout the Great Lakes and Southern Africa. Today it is most notable in Tanzania, where it is deemed an official music genre by the National Arts Council (BASATA - Baraza la Sanaa la Taifa). In Tanzania, it is experienced throughout the country and performed, taught, and studied in many schools and universities. The most notable school for ngoma is the Bagamoyo Arts and Cultural Institute, which produces the most prominent chairmen (directors/conductors) and dancers. The traditional forms of ngoma dancing consist of prominent movements of the hips. It uses a large variety of instruments, including strings and horns, but most prominently the use of drums. In other cases no instruments are used, such as by the Ambrokoi of the Maasai or the Ligihu of the Ngoni. These are usually dances of jumping and stomping, with significant movement and often a more competitive aspect than those with instruments.