Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases seven music & dance videos of the Bilen people of Eritrea, East Africa.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT ERITREAN BILEN PEOPLE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilen_people
"The Bilen (Blin or Bilin), also known as the Bogo or North Agaw,[1] are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They are primarily concentrated in central Eritrea, in and around the city of Keren, and south toward Asmara, the nation's capital...
The Bilen practice both Christianity and Islam. Muslim adherents mainly inhabit rural areas and have interbred with the adjacent Tigre, while Christian Bilen tend to reside in urban areas and have intermingled with the Biher-Tigrinya.[1]"
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Comment by Kerenian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvFHqAdEaRc*
"Bilen nationality in Eritrea has its musical traditions and its distinctive dances, usually performed to the rhythms of intricate, locally-produced instruments. Many mark major events in life, such as birth and marriage, or celebrate important religious or community festivals. There is also a growing popular music culture in the major urban centers, which draws on and reinterprets traditional themes."
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*This comment was given as a publisher's comment in the video that is presented as Example #7 of this post.
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FEATURED VIDEOS
(These examples are posted in chronological order based on the date of their posting on YouTube with the oldest date presented first.)
Example #1: eritrean bilen
Welid Dekin, Uploaded on Jun 27, 2010
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The musical instruments are drums, harmonicas and sticks hitting against each other.
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Example #2: Eritrea: Bilen traditional dance : ارتريا . رقص شعبي للبلين
Kerenian, Uploaded on Jul 7, 2010
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Example #3: Eritrea - "jarsalam beninku" Bilen song اغنية ارترية
Kerenian, Uploaded on Jul 27, 2010
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Example #4 bilen dance
farajatnet, Uploaded on Mar 14, 2011
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Example #5: Eritrean Bilen by Naseh habtom Lishka
Welid Dekin, Uploaded on May 27, 2011
Wo LISHKA By new singer Naseh
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Example #6: Regina Eritrean tradition wedding
milliontekleab, Uploaded on Aug 5, 2011
Siyoum's and Helen's beautiful Eritrean tradition wedding in Regina, Sk, Canada.
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Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPBE42oQdGU
"The singer is called Habtat Zerisgi and he lives in Swiszerland, he went to Canada for the wedding and he is fomous bilen singer as he has his own songs. if u type his name in youtube u will find some of his songs ....
-Micheal George, 2013
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Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NJAS6aiil8 for another video of this wedding.
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Example #7: Eritrea- Bilen song by Nesah Habtom
Kerenian, Published on May 19, 2012
Eritrea- Bilen song by Nesah Habtom
Bilen nationality in Eritrea has its musical traditions and its distinctive dances, usually performed to the rhythms of intricate, locally-produced instruments. Many mark major events in life, such as birth and marriage, or celebrate important religious or community festivals. There is also a growing popular music culture in the major urban centers, which draws on and reinterprets traditional themes.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composers of these songs, and thanks to the vocalists, musicians, and dancers who are featured in these videos. My thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
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Visitor comments are welcome.
When I see videos of Bilen Eritrean women flinging their hair from side to side [for instance from 1:58-2:17 in the video "Regina Eritrean tradition wedding"] as an African American I'm reminded of a similar custom that is done by members of the historically African American Greek lettered sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. (AKA). In that sorority, before their step or stroll routines or during those dance like routines women act like they are fixing their hair and/or fling their hair from side to side. This is done to let others know that the women consider themselves to be beautiful, and they are showing off their beauty. (Although some women in the United States wear their hair short and short hair is considered fashionable, long, flowing, straight hair is still generally considered as the ideal in feminine beauty.)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if in Bilen culture long hair is a symbol of feminine beauty and women fling their hair from side to side to emphasize that beauty.
Also, the hand signal that a women in another Bilen video did in the video given above as Example #3 Eritrea - "jarsalam beninku" Bilen song (2:26-2:27) reminds me of a signal gesture that AKAs and other African American Black Greek lettered sororities do in their step and their stroll routines.
Furthermore, it was interesting for me to see men in some Bilen videos (for instance a man in the video given above as Example #4 Bilen Dance, 2:44) have what African Americans would call an "afro pick"* in his hair. Particularly in the 1970s in the United States when big, wide afros were "in" among many African American teens and young adults, some males (if I recall correctly more than the females) would have a pick in their hair. That way it was readily available when they wanted to "touch up" their hair (comb it again to make sure the afro was still wide & looking good.)
*Afro pick - a wooden hair comb with wide teeth which makes it easier to come "afro" hair.
Note: I watch videos of other cultures because I’m interested in learning about the singing styles, musical instruments, dance, clothing, hair fashions, and other traditions of those cultures. Yet, I guess it’s natural to recognize what appear to be similarities between those cultures even if the reasons for those similarities may be different.