Finding ourselves sitting among much of the local population,
we were treated to several renditions. The group swayed
and stepped together in time with the rhythmic pounding
of a drum, which was overlaid by a series of charming vocal
melodies, each of which had a specific meaning that was
explained to us in turn as the event progressed. With everything
lit by the flickering of several bonfires, the sounds and
movements proved to be wonderfully hypnotic. To me, it was
also notable that the scene was much more reminiscent of
similar festivities that I had previously seen in the south
Pacific rather than those on the other side of the Mozambique
Channel in mainland Africa. Meanwhile, a great deal of fun
was had by the whole audience when each of the visiting
vazaha danced up to the lamba laid out in front of the performers
in order to make a donation.
However, the one thing that particularly struck me was
just how much obvious pride and effort had been put in by
people who lead much harder lives than many of us will ever
know. And it was also more than just a feast for eyes and
ears. It is highly symbolic of one of the initially less
obvious positive effects of the project. The women's group
started off with such performances, and in doing so literally
paid for the foundations of the campsite where we are been
looked after so well, which provides a source of income
that is a vital alternative to exploiting the natural resources
of the national park. After all, the hungry person cannot
be blamed for thinking only as far as their next meal rather
than the longer term future of the environment.
