Zaouli

Last updated
Zaouli
Cizaouli.jpg
A Zaouli dancer
GenreTraditional dance
OriginGuro people, Ivory Coast
Zaouli, popular music and dance of the Guro communities in Côte d’Ivoire
Country Ivory Coast
Reference 01255
Region Africa
Inscription history
Inscription2017 (12th session)
List Representative

Zaouli is a traditional dance of the Guro people (who speak the Guro language) of central Ivory Coast. The Zaouli mask, used in the dance, was created in the 1950s, reportedly inspired by a girl named "Djela Lou Zaouli" (meaning "Zaouli, daughter of Djela"). [1] However, stories on the origins of the characteristic mask are varied, and each mask may have its own symbolic history. [2] It was inscribed in 2017 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. [3]

Contents

Each Guro village has a local Zaouli dancer (always male), performing during funerals and celebrations. The dance is believed to increase the productivity of the village that it is performed in and is seen as a tool of unity for the Guro community, and by extension the whole country.

The British-Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A. included a clip of a Zaouli dancer in her music video for the song "Warriors", released as part of the video Matahdatah Scroll 01: Broader Than A Border in 2015.

A popular video that includes the song "Bungee Jump" by electronic music artists Captain Hook & Astrix utilizes footage of Zaouli dancers.

In 2022, the K-pop girl group Nature released a music video for their single "Rica Rica", featuring choreography which is heavily inspired by Zaouli dance. Some internet users have criticised this use as inappropriate. [4]

Short videos of traditional Zaouli dances are also circulating on the Internet, the soundtrack of which has been replaced by fast, seemingly appropriate rhythms of psytrance music.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Sudan</span> History of the music of Sudan

The rich and varied music of Sudan has traditional, rural, northeastern African roots and also shows Arabic, Western or other African influences, especially on the popular urban music from the early 20th century onwards. Since the establishment of big cities like Khartoum as melting pots for people of diverse backgrounds, their cultural heritage and tastes have shaped numerous forms of modern popular music. In the globalized world of today, the creation and consumption of music through satellite TV or on the Internet is a driving force for cultural change in Sudan, popular with local audiences as well as with Sudanese living abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Greenland</span>

The music of Greenland is a mixture of two primary strands, Inuit and Danish, mixed with influences from the United States and United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lion dance</span> Traditional Chinese dance

Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other traditional, cultural and religious festivals. It may also be performed at important occasions such as business opening events, special celebrations or wedding ceremonies, or may be used to honour special guests by the Chinese communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of West Bengal</span> Overview of musical genres in Indian state of West Bengal

The music of West Bengal includes multiple indigenous musical genres such as Baul, Ramprasadi, Bishnupuri Classical, Kirtan, Shyama Sangeet, Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, Dwijendrageeti, Prabhat Samgiita, Agamani-Vijaya, Patua Sangeet, Gambhira, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Bengali Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buchaechum</span> Korean fan dancing

Buchaechum is a Korean fan dance originating from various traditional and religious Korean dances. It is usually performed by groups of female dancers.

The diverse culture of Ivory Coast, a coastal West African country bordered by Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, is exemplified by a multitude of ethnic groups, events, festivals, music, and art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of West Africa</span>

The music of West Africa has a significant history, and its varied sounds reflect the wide range of influences from the area's regions and historical periods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galang (song)</span> 2003 single by M.I.A.

"Galang" is the debut single by British musician M.I.A. from her debut album Arular. It was released in 2003 on Showbiz Records which pressed 500 vinyl copies, gaining immediate international recognition via radio airplay, fashion shows, club rotations and internet filesharing. "Galang" was re-released on 1 November 2004 via XL Recordings as the second single from the album released by the label and was released for a third time as "Galang '05" on 11 October 2005 by the label and in the US by Interscope Records. It is written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Justine Frischmann, Ross Orton and Steve Mackey. It first appeared on M.I.A.'s six song demo tape in 2003, then on her official Myspace account on 9 June 2004 and was later reworked slightly by Orton and Mackey who received production credit for the song. "Galang" was the second song M.I.A. wrote on her Roland MC-505, intending for the piece to be performed by Frischmann's band Elastica. Inspired by her experiences and observations of life in London, M.I.A. wrote the song to encourage her friends in the band to continue to make music. However, after cowriting the song, Frischmann convinced M.I.A. to record "Galang" herself, complimenting the piece's lyrical narrative and music direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baile folklórico</span> Collective term for traditional Mexican dances

Baile folklórico, "folkloric dance" in Spanish, also known as ballet folklórico, is a collective term for traditional cultural dances that emphasize local folk culture with ballet characteristics – pointed toes, exaggerated movements, highly choreographed. Baile folklórico differs from danzas and regional bailes. Although it has some association from “danzas nationalists". Folk dances", that is, "dances that you will find in the villages, not on stage" were researched and disseminated by Alura Angeles de Flores. Each region in Mexico, the Southwestern United States and Central American countries is known for a handful of locally characteristic dances.

The Harlem shake is a style of hip-hop dance and is characterized by jerky arm and shoulder movements in time to music. The dance was created by Harlem resident Al B. in 1981; the dance was initially called "The Albee" or "The Al. B.". As indicated by the name, it is associated with the predominantly African-American neighborhood of Harlem, in New York City. The dance became known as the Harlem Shake as its prominence grew beyond the neighborhood. In 2001 G. Dep's music video for the song "Let's Get It" introduced the dance to the mainstream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Assam</span> Overview of the culture of Assam, India

The culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various political-economic systems in different periods of its history.

The traditional dances of Himachal Pradesh are very complicated. These dances are a vital part of tribal life. It reflects the culture and the tradition of Himachal. Hardly any festivity there is celebrated without dancing. Dance forms such as Nati are performed all over the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M.I.A. (rapper)</span> British rapper (born 1975)

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, known by her stage name M.I.A., is a British rapper, record producer, and singer. Her music combines elements of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop and world music with electronic instruments and samples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twerking</span> Type of dance primarily involving the buttocks

Twerking is a type of dance that emerged from the bounce music scene of New Orleans in 1990, which has a broader origin among other types of dancing found among the African diaspora that derives from Bantu-speaking Africans of Central Africa. Individually performed chiefly but not exclusively by women, performers dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving throwing or thrusting their hips back or shaking their buttocks, often in a low squatting stance. Twerking is part of a larger set of characteristic moves unique to the New Orleans style of hip-hop known as "bounce". Moves include "mixing", "exercising", the "bend over", the "shoulder hustle", "clapping", "booty clapping", "booty poppin", "the sleeper" and "the wild wood"—all recognized as booty shaking or bounce. Twerking is one among other types of choreographic gestures within bounce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yupʼik dance</span> Traditional Inuit style dancing

Yup'ik dance or Yuraq, also Yuraqing is a traditional Eskimo style dancing form usually performed to songs in Yup'ik, with dances choreographed for specific songs which the Yup'ik people of southwestern Alaska. Also known as Cup'ik dance for the Chevak Cup'ik dialect speaking Yup'ik of Chevak and Cup'ig dance for the Nunivak Cup'ig dialect speaking Yup'ik of Nunivak Island. Yup'ik dancing is set up in a very specific and cultural format. Typically, the men are in the front, kneeling and the women stand in the back. The drummers are in the very back of the dance group. Dance is the heart of Yup’ik spiritual and social life. Traditional dancing in the qasgiq is a communal activity in Yup’ik tradition. The mask (kegginaquq) was a central element in Yup'ik ceremonial dancing.

"Swords" is a song by British recording artist M.I.A. The track was written by M.I.A., Jerry Leembruggen, Ruben Fernhout, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Tevin Plaate and Kaushal Sahil. Leembruggen and Fernhout are part of the Partysquad, who produced the song alongside M.I.A. and Spanker. The track is centred around the sound of clinging swords, recorded during filming the music video, and was completed overnight during the singer's stay in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arts of West Bengal</span> Cultural heritage of West Bengal

The Indian state, West Bengal has a rich cultural heritage. Due to the reign of many different rulers in the past, arts and crafts in West Bengal underwent many changes giving an artistic diversity today in the forms of traditional handicrafts, terracotta, painting and carving, dances and music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mia Khalifa (song)</span> 2018 single by iLoveFriday

"Mia Khalifa" (originally titled "Mia Khalifa (Diss)", also known as "Hit or Miss", and sometimes stylized as "MiA KHALiFA") is a song by American hip hop group iLoveFriday (stylized as iLOVEFRiDAY). The duo of Atlanta-based rappers Aqsa Malik (also known as Smoke Hijabi) and Xeno Carr self-released the song on February 12, 2018, which was later re-released by Records Co and Columbia Records on December 14, 2018. It was included on their second EP, Mood (2019). The song was produced by Carr. The song is a diss track targeting Mia Khalifa, a Lebanese-American Internet celebrity and former pornographic actress. The decision to write a song dissing Khalifa arose over a misunderstanding. A faked screenshot, intended as a joke, seemed to show Khalifa, who once appeared in a pornographic film wearing a hijab, criticizing Malik for smoking while wearing a hijab in a music video. iLoveFriday thought the screenshot was legitimate.

Budots is a grassroots electronic dance music (EDM) genre that originated in Davao City, Philippines, and is considered as street style hiphop. It eventually spread in Bisaya-speaking regions. Based on house music and Sama-Bajau tangonggo rhythms, it is regarded as the first "Filipino-fied" electronic music, characterized by its heavy use of percussion, hypnotic bass, high-pitched "tiw ti-ti-tiw" whistle hooks, and organic noises that surround the city. It is created to complement a form of freestyle street dance that bears the same name.

References

  1. "Zaouli de Manfla: The Zaouli dance of the Ivory Coast, West Africa - The Kid Should See This". thekidshouldseethis.com. 3 November 2014.
  2. "Guro Zaouli Mask of Ivory Coast". Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  3. "Zaouli, popular music and dance of the Guro communities in Côte d'Ivoire".
  4. "'Rica Rica': NATURE trends for 'downgraded' performance after cultural appropriation". MEAWW. 2022-01-29.