the sound of the Nyamulhere

Around the ndara
Sat energetic boys
With chests out.
Sweating under the afternoon hot sun
But still hitting the different notes merrily.

The young girls
Bringing out their best of kyikibi
Dancing to the old old folks of the bakonzo
Pushing chests forward and breaking backs,
Shoulders moving with the rhythm of the ngoma.

And when karasabwangu blew his nyamulhere
Everyone knew that, that was the hour to deeply connect with the kikonzo.
The sound of the nyamulhere floated the air and all Walyuba would do was close his eyes and let the sound take him over.