There is this song. Rhumba. Modern one, or is it called Lingala? Whatever it’s genre’s name is, it’s from Congo and it’s caught my attention.
Like it started playing, and though I had heard it before, I had never watched it’s video till today, and for those 7 minutes, I was glued to the TV. I had been going to the kitchen or something, which means I stood in front of the TV for 7 minutes as the song played and they danced.
I have tried to find out what really made this video attractive to me. I have even googled the English lyrics to find nothing that would pull me in.
And I think at the back of my mind I know why. The way they danced. Not the technique, not necessarily the energy, not even sure I can explain it. But the way these people seemed like they showed up to these places, purposely to dance the hell out of that song, and they have.
I know this is pretty common among Lingala songs. So maybe I still don’t know what in particular has made me stand there gawking at them.
But that little girl in me wanted something those dancers and the owner of the song had. That purpose in life. Even for those few minutes. That enjoyment while working, even for just that moment. Being given an assignment and understanding it with every fiber of your body.
Groundlessness does not feel good. It feels airy. Like I’m flying. Like I’m a submarine floating somewhere in between the floor of the ocean and the surface. Like I’m mount nyiragongo before it exploded. Like I’m somewhere just somewhere.
And there is no assignment here. If I was to compare this with songs, I would say this is Mejja’s songs where it’s like his friends show up at his house, find him shooting a song and just join in. Dressed anyhowly. Everyone dancing differently. Some not dancing at all. Some ladies just staring at the camera. Anyhowly.
That’s how groundlessness feels like. And they say that one should surrender to such things. Like feel the air fully. Fly a bit.
And I don’t know if I know how to do that. To cede control. And just let go. And hope that somehow as we are flying, we will land somewhere. Somewhere that makes sense. Somewhere that has an assignment. Somewhere where my soul shows up, the way these dancers in this song did.
Mwende Kyalo 