Those Who Came Before Us
Most of us are aware of how badly represented Africa is. The continent is too often reduced to a number of degrading stereotypes. But Africa has a rich and diverse history. A history that is usually ignored or poorly understood not just by the world but by (sometimes) its own people. A certain British historian once referred to its past as darkness.
Well, I hope to be among those who hold a lantern to this so-called darkness of a history. Take my hand, as I guide you down the pathways of Africa’s supposed night covered past. Allow me to show you her numerous and diverse people, their perspectives, religion, and their stories.
Hosted by David Ibanda( a devoted student of African history with a penchant for Corny jokes)
Follow podcast instagram page at @twcbupod.
Those Who Came Before Us
Enkai: The God Who Changes Color
Enkai is the creator god of the Maasai people. He reveals himself in three colors: white, red, and black. Among them, red and black speak the loudest.
Inspired by the oral traditions of the Maasai, this episode follows a lone Maasai woman as she offers a series of prayers, pleas for life, for mercy, for a child. Her voice becomes a bridge between the earthly and the divine.
The story is told in a poetic, haiku-like form..sparse, symbolic, and intimate. Inspired by the oral traditions of the Maasai.
It’s an experiment.
Take your time. Listen. Feel it.
I hope you enjoy. 😁
Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/JD8Y9LJpmUk
SOURCES
Naomi Kipuri. Oral Literature of the Maasai. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers, 1983.
Dorothy L. Hodgson. The Church of Women: Gendered Encounters between Maasai and Missionaries. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005.
Jomo Kenyatta. Facing Mount Kenya. London: Secker and Warburg, 1938.
Douglas E. Thomas. African Religions: Beliefs and Practices through History. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2018.
Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama, eds. Encyclopedia of African Religion. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2008.
Project FUEL. Engai: God of the Maasai. Google Arts & Culture, n.d