Wessomia or Wad Somia

Wessomia dance is typically performed by boys who move to and fro in front of the sitting girls who play the drum in a different beat compared to Golia and Sisiit. The singing girls may be encouraging, appreciating, rebuking or even discouraging, if not directly insulting the boys. The girl’s have a crucial role in the intensity by which Wessomia is played. Once encouraged, the boys may intensify their jumping steps in unison towards the girls, in a horizontal line, and once they are so close to the girls, they may show bow or lower their bodies as a sign of bravery, and by moving their stick up and down, forward and backward. Wessomia signifies an evaluative conversation between girls and boys in the sense that the behavior of an individual or group male behavior is at stake. Most often it is an age group that may be on focus. After playing Sisiit and Golia, respectively, or in as reverse order, Wessomia is often played in all important occasions but from our experiences we have never seen Wessomia that starts any dance event.

Wessomia is played under all festive vents, weddings, and nightly entertainment occasions or even at any leisurely time of the young.  Instruments used are the Kelembura (drum) as played by girls, the boys holding their sticks with the sharp edge pointed towards the sky, and the clapping of hands by other girls sitting to the right and to the left of the drummers – those who are not playing the Kelembura (drum) at the moment. The Kelembura (drum) boys, sticks and clapping of hands. But really, no other instrument is crucial other than the Kelembura (drum) and the jumping boys who may play Wessomia either by moving in a circle and tramping down on the ground by their either of their legs in unison, or forming a parallel line in front of the girls, and other jumping upwards in the climax of the play, before the next line of boys takes over.