LUO SONGS AND DANCES DURING BIRTH OCCASION.

(GoK: Government of Kenya)

Introduction:
Ogot (1967) stated that the Luo (also called Joluo or Jonangi) are an ethnic group in Western
Kenya, occupying the larger upper part of the former Nyanza Province. According to the 2009
population Census, the Luo are the fourth largest ethnic group in Kenya after Kikuyu, Luhya,
and the Kalenjin (GoK, 2013). Their main form of economic activity is fishing. They speak the
Dholuo language, which belong to the Western Nilotic branch of the Nilo-Saharan language
family spoken by other Luo-speaking people such as the Lango, Acholi, Adhola and Alur found
in parts of Uganda, South Sudan and Eastern Congo. They are believed to be hospitable people
(Okumba, 2001). In addition, they take music as a way of life.
Music from the perspective of the Luo Community
In traditional African society, song and dance are used as an avenue for praise, blame, for social
criticism and commentary and for inciting people besides their use for entertainment and for
marking different occasions through the life cycle. To the Luo community music was, and still is,
most widely practiced. Music was not played for its own sake, but was functional, being used for
ceremonial, religious, political, or other social purposes (Okumba, 2001). Music is performed
during funerals (Yuak), Entertainment and recreational purposes (Budho), Competitions (Piem),
and memorial ceremonies for the departed (Rapar). Special songs and dances where performed
for these occasions, for instance Tero buru during funeral, Dudu during beer parties and Olengo
during wrestling matches. The music was shaped by the total way of their life, lifestyle, and life
patterns of the individuals of the community members. As a result, their music has

distinguishable characteristics from those of the other communities as heard in their melodies,
rhythm, mode of presentation and dance style, movements and formation (Ocholla, 1980).
Indeed, this is in line with the assertion of Akuno (2008) that music, as a cultural art form, is a
window into society. It expresses and reflects a peoples culture, and the sum-total of a peoples
existence.
Music and Dance during Birth Occasion
Birth marked the beginning of life in traditional African Societies. This was a time of joy and
happiness, not only to the immediate family of the newborn, but also to the community at large.
Most of the community welcomed the new born with song and dances, while there are others
which do not. Darkwa (1985) argued that within the Luo people, a newborn baby was not
welcomed with songs and naming ceremonies were not music-making occasion. The argument
here was, during such time, a child was not yet confirmed if it will live or not. In addition, Luo
birth was attended by an elderly woman who had midwifery skills to supervise the birth and take
appropriate action when need be. Then some rituals are undertaken, where the mother stays four
days and three days before she can bring out the boy and girl, respectively (Darkwa, 1985).
Darkwa came to this conclusion because of the very many songs and dances in the Luo
community, there is no name for birth songs or dance apart from the one associated with twinbirth.
On the contrary, Omolo-Ongati (2003), affirmed that music featured prominently in the Luo
child life development. She further added that when a child is born, there is joy and happiness,
not just for the parents of the child but also for the whole village, because a genealogy has been
expanded. This called for celebration, which is always done in music and dance by the childs
immediate community. In addition, the birth and sex of the child are announced through music

(Omolo-Ongiti, 2003). However, she fails to name any dance or song associated to the occasion.
A quick interview with some members of the community indicated that majority of Luo people
are not aware of birth songs and dances.
Twin-birth.
In African societies, the birth of twins brought mixed reaction. To some communities, twin birth
was received with pomp and colour as the twin played a unique role in the society. To others,
twins were feared as their birth was considered as a bad omen sent by the gods. Such
communities considered twins as supernatural beings that could bring devastation upon the
society. This called for special rituals to cleanse the affected family (Omolo-Ongati, 2003).
To the Luo community, the birth of twins was believed to be the result of evil spirits. Twin birth
was a rare and not very pleasant occasion. As soon as it is realized that twins are on the way,
young women attending the birth run away lest they also get twins (Ocholla, 1980). Immediately
after birth the mother is cleansed by an expert who gives her herbal concoctions to drink.
The Malomgo ceremony, a kind of cleansing, takes place, where recital of certain words as they
hit a mortar with sticks and touch the mother to discontinue the cycle of misfortunes. (Okumba,
2001). After a month or so, a ceremony called freeing the twins is performed during the Yawo
rut celebration (a celebration to mark the birth of twins). At this time, beer is brewed, a goat
slaughtered and its skin worn by the mother and the twins (Omolo-Ongati, 2005). During the
entire ceremony, both parents are not allowed to leave the house. The culmination of the
Malomgo ceremony is a dance in which the parents virtually remain naked as they sing and
dance, leaving the hut. The words of the song are said to be extremely obscene (Okumba, 2001).

The dance procession leads to the outside of the homestead (a way of warding off the evil spirit
from the homestead), where the parents are shaved before they return to the house. People drink
alcohol and eat then loot the house, leaving only the ritual animal skins earlier given to the
mother and the twins (Okumba, 2001).
The final freeing ceremony is a visit by the mothers maiden relatives who come with a bull to be
slaughtered on the first day of their visit. They are met at the gate with ululation, music and
dance in the same obscene fashion. Drinking and eating takes place that day. The following day,
the host homestead also slaughters a bull which is devoured amid drinking. After this ceremony,
the parents of the twins are free (Omolo-Ongati, 2005).
According to Ochieng (2007), Ohangla music and dance was performed during such occasion.
Ohangla dance was associated with a lot of energy, twist of the hips, provocative dances, and
obscene lyrics which were a necessity to relieve the burden of giving birth to twins: thus the old
Dholuo adage Ohangla ok budho miaha Ohangla is never to be used for entertaining a woman
or a bride (Ochieng', 2007)
Conclusion
Omolo-Ongati (2005) made a remarkable review of the modern Luo music. She stated that the
traditional Luo music and dance have undergone a lot of transformation in the face of the
influence from the Western World, enhanced by the wave of urbanization. The idea and concept
that informed traditional genres are increasingly being eroded by modern trends in the society.
As a result of these changes, new forms of Luo music and dances have emerged having elements
and characteristics that resemble the traditional music of the past, but defy the traditional context
of performance, thereby transforming Luo music from its traditional roots into modernity. As a

consequence, some Luo traditional type of music have lost their institutional roles and contextual
implications changing their original musicology meaning. No wonder Ochieng (2007) affirmed
that the Luo ancestors would never want to live in the current world in the way Ohangla is being
performed.
References:
Akuno, E. (2008). Sing me a life: Music as a people's identity. In K. Njogu, Culture,
Performance and Identity: Paths of Communication in Kenya (pp. 145-150). Nairobi:
Twaweza Communications ltd.
Darkwa, A. (1985). Traditional Music and Dance in Luo Community Life. Athens: Anthropos
Institute. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/40461065
GoK. (2013). National Data Archieve (KeNADA). Nairobi: KNBS. Retrieved from
www.statistics.knbs.or.ke/nada/index.php/catalog/55
Ochieng', Z. (2007). The Rebirth of Ohangla. Nairobi: News from Africa.
Ocholla, A. (1980). The Luo Culture: A Reconstruction of a Traditional African Society.
Wiesbaden: Steiner.
Ogot, B. (1967). History of the Southern Luo: Migration and Settlement (Vol. I). Nairobi: East
African Publishing House.
Okumba, M. (2001). Oral Literature of the Luo. Nairobi: East African Education Publishers.
Omolo-Ongati. (2005). Practice of Traditional Luo instrumental genres in contemporary popular
setting. Maseno Jornl of Education.
Omolo-Ongati, R. (2003). Game Songs and folktale songs as teaching resources in musical arts
education of a Luo child. In H. Anri, Emerging Solutions for Musical Arts Education in
Africa (p. 169). Cape Town: AfricanMind.