Two men in their feather headdresses play bamboo “Urua” flutes. One tube of the giant “Urua” double flute is over 2 meters long, the other is 1.5 meters. The tubes about five centimeters in diameter are made by lashing two lengths of bamboo together. The girls follow, and dance with a hand supported on the shoulder of their companion, fast march steps to the right and to the left, marked by the sound of foot stomping and the ankle bells.The string of resonant shells or bells on their ankles and the foot-stomping adds a percussion beat. They perform in the hot sun from Oca to Oca, and enter each one to ward off evil spirits and call the good ones.
©Kieron Nelson "Vanishing Cultures Photography" All rights reserved
