page_title: Bariba people
section_title: Songs and Dances
hierarchical_section_title: Bariba people / Culture / Songs and Dances
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Photo prise à la Gaani 1969 Auteur: JP. Grossenbacher
context_page_description: The Bariba people, self designation Baatonu, are the principal inhabitants of Borgou and Alibori Departments, Benin, and cofounders of the Borgu kingdom of what is now northeast Benin and west-central Nigeria. In Nigeria, they are found spread between western Kwara State and the Borgu section of Niger State. There are perhaps a million Bariba, 70% of them in Benin, where they are the fourth largest ethnic group and comprise approximately 1/11 of the population. The Bariba are concentrated primarily in the north-east of the country, especially around the city of Nikki, which is considered the traditional Bariba capital. At the end of the 18th century they became independent from the Yoruba of Oyo and formed several kingdoms in the Borgou region. The colonization of Benin by the French at the end of the 19th century, and the imposition of an Anglo-French artificial border, ended Bariba trade in the region.
  One of their noted festivals is the annual Gani festival of which horse riding is a prominent element.
  The Bariba people holds an important place in the history of the country.
context_section_description: Singing is extremely important to the Baatonu and they have repertoires covering all aspects of daily life in the Empire. Wuru songs retrace the life of hunters and daily scenes, but can sometimes branch out into more erotic subject matter. Teke songs celebrate the typical values of Baatonu humanism and often use opposites to illustrate their messages – generosity and rapacity, bravery and cowardice, fidelity and infidelity, etc. – to encourage virtuous behaviour; thus, some of the songs are aimed at in-stilling a responsible attitude towards sexuality in young people, especially girls. Others accentuate courage and persistence when faced with an enemy.
  The Wuru dance, which used to be performed during funeral ceremonies for native Baatonu families, remains a prestigious ritual dance also performed at popular celebrations. The dancers’ costumes, made from animal skins and native fabrics covered with several rows of cowrie shells and amulets, make quite an impression on the assembly, sometimes to the point of fright-ening them. The rapid pace of the dance is set by the pounding rhythm of their accessories: a gravel-filled gourd in one hand and a piece of animal skin in the other. 
  The popular Teke dance, which has no sacred function, is carried out by mature men using 40-centimetre cylindrical sticks. In this dance, rival groups or villages compete with each other. The Teke is danced in pairs and in general, six to eight couples confront each other on the floor. The many varying rhythms are associated with specific dance steps. The Sinsennu dance is carried out by young men. Its name refers to the chains of balls made from the leaves of Palmyra palm shoots decorated with small stones that the dancers wrap round their calves, making a sound similar to that of castanets. A flute, a talking tom-tom and a drum contribute to the sound of the Sinsennu, producing the particular harmony specific to the dance.
  The Gbangba, danced by young Wasangari aged between 18 and 25, is identified by its solemn, mournful rhythm. It was for-merly used to announce the death of a king and to accompany the preparations for burial ceremonies. A war dance, it also an-nounces the start of a conflict. The Fulbe carry out the Sinna which imitates flagellation, and the Gesegesere.
caption: A group of Kirikou with trumpets, Kankangui
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