Deriving from English 'band', Beni is a popular
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
entertainment with a strong focus on rhythm and dance, and audience participation. Commonly,
Zanzibar
Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...
is recognized as place of origin around the turn of the 20th century as a mockery of colonial style
military band
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...
s.
Beni appropriated symbols of colonial authority as the military drill, uniform, and elaborate hierarchies.
History
Beni has its origins in urban Swahili communities on the Kenyan coast in the 1890s.
Around 1914, the style spread to
Tanga and
Dar es Sallam. During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, beni was danced in both armies. First accounts of beni in
Nyasaland
Nyasaland () was a British protectorate located 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 Nyasala ...
were around 1918. Prisoners of war danced it in the detention camp at
Zomba, followed by detachments of the 2nd KAR when they returned to
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
.
In 1921, beni was linked to those who served in the WWI. In the late colonial period, beni was a way for young people to express their independence.
In Zanzibar, Beni is 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 t ...
.
See also
*
Music of Tanzania
As it is in other countries, the music in Tanzania is constantly undergoing changes, and varies by location, people, settings and occasion. The five music genres in Tanzania, as defined by BASATA are, ngoma, dansi, kwaya, and taarab, with b ...
References
Culture of Zanzibar
Tanzanian music
Wedding music
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