During the dancing, they sing the Chi Wara song in endless praise of the beast. The headdress is the centerpiece of the dancer's costumes. It is attached to a woven basket, and balanced on the dancer's head. From the basket hang blackened strips of fiber from the da plant that have been repeatedly dipped in mud. These strips usually hang about four feet down all around the basket, hiding the identity of the dancer.
Cowrie shells are also randomly attached to the fibers.
The blacksmiths in Bamana society make these headdresses. Blacksmiths hold a special position in society. They must learn both the techniques necessary to carve, and how to contact and learn from their personal spirit, called a djinn . The djinn gives the blacksmith his artistic inspiration and power, but, in return, these spirits are very demanding . A blacksmith is frequently called on to make a solitary, mysterious sojourn into the bush by his djinn .