Hunguhungu
Encyclopedia
Hunguhungu or fedu is a form of traditional swaying circular dance
performed by the women of the Garifuna people of Belize
, Honduras
, Nicaragua
and Guatemala
. The music for the dance is composed of rhythmic themes performed by three drummers with alternating call-and-response chanting, and displays a clear African heritage. It is sometimes combined with punta
.
The hunguhungu is sometimes performed during a ritual called the adugurahani, or dugu, used by the Garifuna to communicate with their deceased ancestors. The dance is also performed by adult Garifuna women during the Holy Week
of Easter
to indicate sorrow
or lamentation
, and often contains topical elements expressive of the women's feelings toward current situations in their communities, with serious messages such as "A man who commits a crime, will only end up dead", or "A man who commits a crime, some day by the vultures circling overhead, we will find his body."
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
performed by the women of the Garifuna people of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. The music for the dance is composed of rhythmic themes performed by three drummers with alternating call-and-response chanting, and displays a clear African heritage. It is sometimes combined with punta
Punta
Punta is a Garifuna music and dance style performed at celebrations and festive occasions. Contemporary punta, including Belizean punta rock, arose in the last thirty years of the twentieth century in Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. It also has a following in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Southern Mexico...
.
The hunguhungu is sometimes performed during a ritual called the adugurahani, or dugu, used by the Garifuna to communicate with their deceased ancestors. The dance is also performed by adult Garifuna women during the Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
of Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
to indicate sorrow
Sorrow
Sorrow may refer to:* Sorrow * Sorrow , an EP by The 3rd and the Mortal* "Sorrow" * "Sorrow" * "Sorrow" * "Sorrow" , also covered by The Merseys and David Bowie...
or lamentation
Lament
A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.-History:Many of the oldest and most lasting poems in human history have been laments. Laments are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and laments continued to be sung in elegiacs accompanied by...
, and often contains topical elements expressive of the women's feelings toward current situations in their communities, with serious messages such as "A man who commits a crime, will only end up dead", or "A man who commits a crime, some day by the vultures circling overhead, we will find his body."
See also
- Music of BelizeMusic of BelizeThe music of Belize has a mix of Kriol, Mestizo, Garifuna, and Maya influences. After many centuries of Maya habitation, British colonizers arrived in the area in the 17th century. Belize was Britain's only colony in Spanish-dominated Central America until self-government in 1964 and gaining full...
- Music of HondurasMusic of HondurasThe music of Honduras is very varied, Punta is the main "ritmo" de Honduras, to Caribbean music like salsa, merengue, reggae, and reggaeton all widely heard especially in the North, to Mexican rancheras heard in the interior, rural part of the country...
- Music of NicaraguaMusic of NicaraguaMusic of Nicaragua is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include the marimba and others that are common across Central America...
- Garifuna musicGarifuna musicGarifuna music is quite different from the music of the rest of Central America. The most famous form is punta. Its associated musical style, which has the dancers move their hips from right to left in a circular motion...