Zanzibar Part 1: The Massi

Along the white sandy beach in Kwengwa I was lost in the turquoise ocean and pale blue sky that merged together at the furthest point that my eye could see. The waves crashing against the shore and rustle of ocean breeze through the giant palms serenaded me. Walking down the beach I came across many beach huts selling art work and hand made jewelery, I was especially captivated by one such cluster of huts because they belonged to a group of Massi. The Massi are one of the most prominent African tribal groups still strong after the effects of time and modernization, they still wear the traditional garb of red sarongs draped around their bodies. They are fully adorned with stunning works of beads, around their ankles, wrists, necks, enlarged ear lobes hold more decorations. They keep machetes that have been used for killing lions, they walk with thin rods of wood that remind one of a wise sage.

I spent some time looking through their work and learning a couple of words in Swahili, I could not resist asking them to perform a traditional dance and they were glad to show me. They gathered into a circle and began chanting and making beautiful sounds together, like individual instruments coming together forming one orchestra. Their movements came from shaking their shoulders and pulsating their chests, they would pulsate towards one another and I could feel the energy being created and transferred into the group, and the jumping! The Massi have become famous for their incredible jumping during their song and dance and I have become a believer. They jump so high into the air after a high note of singing, and the stomping of their bodies back down on the earth must be to ground the energy they just created, that’s my theory anyways.

Song after song I watched with absolute awe and without realizing the moment one of the Massi men took my hand and pulled me into this magnetic field of energy. I started to follow their movements and someone placed a necklace of beads around my neck, the necklace rested around my collarbone but had long, thin chains of silver that ended in a small discs of silver cymbal like objects. When I was able to add to the sounds I really lost track of where the sound was coming from, I lost track of time, of inhibitions, I was dancing on the beach with a group of Massi. It was surreal and beautiful. I will never forget the magic of that morning. I still have the necklace and wearing it brings me instantly back to everything, the sights, the sounds, the fun. It was amazing.

The mixing of tradition into a world of conformity was like standing underneath a waterfall and having all conceptions of what one “should be”, “should look like”, “should behave a certain way” etc erased. There should be no should be’s! Lets all remember how fun life can be, how it feels to be kind with no thought of reciprocation, how easy it is to be content when we cleanse ourselves of should have, would have, could have mentality. Let us simply BE.