“Ling'oma”  An  Elusive Traditional Art

By Dennis Mwasalanga

Whenever you hear about “Ling'oma” know that it is an art special for wanyakyusa in northern highlands which involves the use of drums, local flutes and local trumpets and local language is the mode of singing and communicating.

The traditional made drums and other devices are attracting dancers to perform better and call for the audience applauses as the men who are the only performers roll their sticks rhythmically and majestically.

It is a fact of life that traditions are sweet. The art is a truly means of maintaining “wanyakyusa's traditional dances. It has been for years being performed after harvests season as a mark of thanking God for the harvests and also as a mark of maintaining unity and call for peace and harmony.

The performers in white short,white shirt, white socks and sometimes white shoes, are impressively looking, while blowing their traditional made flutes and the mocking sounds they make, then sometimes making traditional proverbs and other teaching phrases.

It is sad that the art is nowadays not as much entertained as in ancient years. For me I have never enjoyed that art ever. It is the best dance I ever enjoyed and quite impressive the art resembles some other forms of “ngoma” like that of “wangoni” and baganda from Uganda.

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