Ndere Troupe performing the Ekitaguriro cultural dance 01

Ekitaguriro aka Cow Dance is a traditional dance originating from Nkore or Ankole region which is located in the South Western

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. It is a celebratory dance that is performed by both men and women as an expression of gratitude for their cattle and to showcase local prosperity such as birth, marriage and abundant harvest. It is an integral part of social gatherings and events in the region, symbolizing the deep-rooted cultural significance of cattle in the community.

History

The Ankole kingdom came into existence through the amalgamation of the Nkore kingdom with the smaller chiefdoms of

Sheema Sheema, also Sheema Municipality, is an urban centre in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the largest municipality in Sheema District. Location Sheema lies on the Mbarara–Ishaka Road, approximately west of Mbarara, the largest city in the ...

Buhweju Buhweju is a kingdom in what is modern-day Uganda. It was incorporated into the British Ankole protectorate in 1901. It was ruled by an Omugabe Ankole was a traditional Bantu kingdom in Uganda and lasted from the 15th century until 1967. The ...

, and Igara. Ankole kingdom was further divided into two distinct factions, namely, the Bahima (consisting of nobles and pastoralists) and the Bairu (comprising agriculturalists and peasants). The region of Ankole gave birth to the traditional Ekitaguriro dance, which is performed by both men and women. This dance serves as a means to convey narratives, communicate essential cultural knowledge, celebrate abundant harvests, and mark significant life milestones such as birth and marriage.

Performance

It begins with "Okwevuga," a form of poetry performed by men, where they narrate their life's achievements. This is followed by dancing, where the men imitate the movement of cows walking by stepping from one leg to another. Meanwhile, the women gracefully sway from side to side, spreading their hands across and above their heads to represent the long-horned cattle. During the dance, both men and women wear traditional dancewear called 'bitambi' or 'lessu.' The dancers tightly tie this cloth around their waist and drape a lighter cloth around their shoulders. The women also adorn themselves with African-themed jewelry. The men enhance their outfit by adding shackle-like beads, which draw attention to their foot movements and complement the sounds of the 'Kitaguriro' dance. The sounds are produced using

flutes The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

Engalabi The Engalabi, also known as the Engoma ensajja, is a membranophone percussion instrument commonly used in Central Africa, particularly in Uganda. It is associated with tribes such as the Baganda, Banyankole, Buzimba, and Tagwenda. The instrument i ...

, shakers,

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

and also clapping of the hands.{{Cite web , title=Kabushenga's Ekitaguriro shatters stage at Qwela Band show , url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/undefined , access-date=2024-01-07 , website=New Vision , language=en

History

Performance

References

Further reading