“Zaire Ngome Msagapore” is a grassroots music group that preserves the traditional dances and music of the Giriama people. For the main characters, it is also the main source of income: “To survive, there must be more of us!” says Mama Furaha and begins efforts to acquire new members to expand their ensemble. In the documentary film made by Zippy Kimundu and Małgorzata Mazur within the TPAAE project, we encounter three main founders of the band: Mzee Kapondo, Mama Furaha, and Saruni. The authors purposely do not hide the camera, therefore the process of making the film itself becomes its second theme, emphasizing the “game” that both sides play equally consciously.
Through the lens of Chief Saruni and Mama Furaha, a charismatic fisherman and his enterprising wife who sells palm wine for a living, we meet a diverse group of characters who keeps their ancestors’ traditions alive through pacing their drums. Despite working low-paying odd jobs by day to survive, music serves as a welcome escape from their daily lives. While Saruni, who has two wives, seems unconcerned about the difficult financial situation, his wife Mama Furaha dreams of a better life for her family and the whole community. As Mama Furaha takes action to expand the band’s reach by performing for tourists, the film showcases their preparation, the decision to bring in new members, and their joys and sorrows leading up to their performance at DUOS Festival in Seahorse village.
Women in the film are given a voice, discussing politics, pandemic restrictions, and food shortages, as Mama Furaha hopes to use music and dance as a means to effect change and improve their living conditions. This rare glimpse into a world never seen before reveals the resilience and strength of a community that uses music to overcome adversity, inspiring us all.
With an observational approach and high anthropological value, this documentary tells a compelling and universal story about the desire for a better life. As Kenya is usually portrayed as a tourist paradise with beautiful landscapes and wildlife, this film takes us into unexplored territories, showcasing the challengingconditions and daily struggles of small coastal village life at the Kilifi’s Indian Ocean Creek.