Beni, also spelled Mbeni, is an indigenized East African form of

brass band A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting primarily of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands (particularl ...

music. The word ''beni'' derives from the English word "band." Beni appropriated symbols of colonial authority as the military drill, uniform, and elaborate hierarchies. The ''beni ngoma'' is a competitive dance genre based on a military drill performed to brass-band music. The corresponding Beni dance was developed during the colonial era, and mimicked military and colonial traditions with Africanized music and movement of the dancers. Beni has been considered an evolution of

taarab Taarab is a music genre popular in both Tanzania and Kenya. It has been influenced by the musical traditions of the African Great Lakes, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Taarab rose to prominence in 1928 with the adv ...

, a traditional form of

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...

music. This kind of dance to brass music also included

songs. It is a popular form of wedding entertainment with a strong focus on rhythm and dance, and audience participation.

History

Beni has its origins in urban Swahili communities on the Kenyan coast in the 1890s, where it came to be part of the culture of competitive associations. Brass band music was performed for

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

audiences in East Africa. Brass band music was used by

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...

to introduce European culture to young people in

Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...

. At the same time, in the late colonial period, beni was a way for young people to express their independence. Around 1914, the style spread to Tanga and

Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...

. The first accounts of beni in

Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After ...

were around 1918. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, beni was danced by

askari An askari or ascari (from Somali, Swahili, and Arabic , , meaning 'soldier' or 'military', also 'police' in Somali) was a local soldier serving in the armies of the European colonial powers in Africa, particularly in the African Great Lakes, ...

soldiers. Prisoners of war danced it in the detention camp at Zomba in

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

, and by detachments of the 2nd KAR when they returned to

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

. ''Beni'' dancers were also instrumental in structured communication during the 1935 Copperbelt strike in Northern Rhodesia. When Beni was indigenized, western instruments were sometimes exchanged with local instruments, and march time was replaced by African

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

beats and

polyrhythm Polyrhythm () is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. The rhythmic layers may be the basis of an entire piece of music (cross-rh ...

. In Kenya, for example, wooden

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

s were substituted for traditional brass versions of the western instrument. In

, Beni has been performed both as a street parade and stationary as a

wedding dance A wedding reception is a party usually held after the completion of a marriage ceremony as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple ''receive'' society, in the form of family and friends, for th ...

References

Literature

* {{Authority control African dances Wedding music Tanzanian styles of music Culture of Zanzibar East African culture

History

See also

References

Literature