Dagara Funeral Dance for Malidoma Somé

Dr. Malidoma Patrice Somé touched the lives of thousands of people in the West, introducing to them what he called "Indigenous African Spiritual Technology". IAST and the indigenous wisdom he so gracefully and eloquently imparted from his own Dagara tradition of Burkina Faso helped to quench a thirst many westerners expressed for a direct connection to Spirit. Malidoma eloquently shared with the modern world the indigenous spiritual technologies, rituals, and protocols of the Dagara, in some cases for the first time in history with a western audience. Communities based around his work sprung up around the globe. He wrote many books, led innumerable workshops and was a highly sought after diviner in the tradition of cowrie shell divination. The name Malidoma means to make friends with the stranger, or to befriend the enemy, and his life was a sacrifice to this purpose, one he fulfilled with amazing success.
His passing to Other world, as he often put it, to the Ancestral realm, occurred on Dec 9, 2021. On January 14 I was privileged enough to be part of a small group of westerners who attended the funeral in his home village of Dano. The 5 of us essentially represented all "the strangers" Malidoma had befriended over the past 30 years, and as one among us had also brought Malidoma's body from the US to Burkina, we were told many times that the funeral could not have happened without us, and the village's gratitude was extended to all of us collectively. We were therefore placed in a most revered position, and treated as those grieving from within the immediate family. It was a humbling and unforgettable experience.
This video was taken in the final moments of a 3-day funeral ritual. We were told that a neighboring ethnic group from the town of Oronkua in the province of Ioba, the Pougli, who are related but separate from the Dagara, would come to perform a traditional dance from their culture and that the funeral could not end until that happened. Malidoma was apparently very fond of this dance and used to dance with this troupe during some of his visits to Dano. This dance was performed in his memory and bid him farewell.
With the exception of one edit, this is all raw footage taken in a single shot. We were encouraged throughout the funeral to videotape in order to share the proceedings with tose who could not be there in person. In Africa, filmmakers often are given unusual access to the action, being allowed to get close to performers and move freely within the performance space. Encouraged by other local videographers doing the same, I took the liberty to do that here. An edited version of the entire funeral is in the works but will take some time. As the dance was 25 minutes long and only a small part of it will be in the final video of the funeral ceremony, it is being offered here in its entirety. Enjoy it, and toast the memory and legacy of our dear friend, Malidoma, who befriended the enemy.
Videographer: Esu Anahata, Executive Director, The BARKA Foundation
Note: Malidoma was on the Advisory Board of The BARKA Foundation and our work in Burkina Faso would never have been possible without him.
Special thanks to Kathryn Edwards for taking the shot of the dance troupe, effectively waving hello to YOU (all the strangers) at 2:38

Видео Dagara Funeral Dance for Malidoma Somé канала The BARKA Foundation