Dhaanto
Somali music genre and type of dance
Dhaanto is a style of traditional Somali music and folk dance. It is a cultural folk dance native to the Somali people in the Horn of Africa.
01History
According to local tradition, Dhaanto is believed to have been invented by the nomadic Ogaden clan. The origins of the dance could be traced back to Somali Region of Ethiopia. It was revived in the late 19th century by the Dervish Movement, and was used to raise the 'spirits' of soldiers and was often sung on horseback. Dhaanto became popular among the Somalis in Ethiopia and quickly spread to other Somali territories in the Horn of Africa. In the Ogaden region, this dance is very popular and you will annually see ethnic Somalis perform different versions of this dance at the Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Day in Jigjiga. Additionally, the genre is also employed in Islamic poetry.
References
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Dhaanto”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Somtradanhd4.png by aflaanta std, CC BY 3.0
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