The first two dances to be introduced into the African folk dance program are Tamukong from Bamendankwe and Subi from Oku. Both Bamendankwe and Oku are villages in the North Western Grassfields of Cameroon. The two dances are xylophone-based and award-winning. As the head masks and other features suggest, they are spiritual dances that also serve the purpose of entertainment among others. The instructors selected to introduce these dances to the North American public are virtuosos in their art. They are all poly-instrumentalists and excellent dancers, with the ability to teach a wide range of musical and terpsichorean material from this region of Africa. It is a region very rich in sophisticated folk dances! As the program progresses into a dance and cultural academy, folk dances (with different musical instruments) from other parts of Africa will be introduced.

Origin

This dance was founded by a man called Fundoh. When he first presented the dance to the Fon (chief) of the village, as tradition required, the Fon was so blown away by its sheer beauty that he appealed to Fundoh to make it the dance of the land. And so it became Tamukung, which could be translated as “the Father of Dancers.” 

A cultural epiphany: my first encounter with Tamukung