: Dancers form a long line by holding the waist or shoulders of the person in front.
Someone shouts "Tongoria!" (Lead us!). The singer launches into a mukingo —a 20-minute medley of songs strung together. The crowd sings the kirogoto (the high-pitched, wailing backing vocal). Women form a line and do the Mwengere dance—small, fast steps while holding a handkerchief or a beer bottle.
Mugithi has become a staple of Kenyan entertainment, particularly in the Mount Kenya region and in urban nightclubs. It is especially popular in "night vigil" settings (often called Kameme or Kikuyu nights) where the interactive nature of the performance allows the audience to sing along and request songs.
The genre emerged in its recognizable current form as a response to the economic and social shifts of the 1990s. It was pioneered partly by Christian pilgrims during night vigils ( keshas ), who used a "train" metaphor to represent a spiritual journey.
: Dancers form a long line by holding the waist or shoulders of the person in front.
Someone shouts "Tongoria!" (Lead us!). The singer launches into a mukingo —a 20-minute medley of songs strung together. The crowd sings the kirogoto (the high-pitched, wailing backing vocal). Women form a line and do the Mwengere dance—small, fast steps while holding a handkerchief or a beer bottle.
Mugithi has become a staple of Kenyan entertainment, particularly in the Mount Kenya region and in urban nightclubs. It is especially popular in "night vigil" settings (often called Kameme or Kikuyu nights) where the interactive nature of the performance allows the audience to sing along and request songs.
The genre emerged in its recognizable current form as a response to the economic and social shifts of the 1990s. It was pioneered partly by Christian pilgrims during night vigils ( keshas ), who used a "train" metaphor to represent a spiritual journey.