Kalya Cultural Dancers (Marakwet Ethnic Group, Kenya) -"Anyiny Tumdo" ("Blessed Ceremony"), Video With English lyrics

Kalya Cultural Dancers, Nov 8, 2020

Ceremonies such as Engagements & Marriages are the most celebrated events in Marakwet Community. ANYINY TUMDO (Sweet/lovely) Ceremony... **** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post provides information about the Kalenjin and information of the Marakwet, a sub-group of the Kalenjin ethnic group in Kenya, East Africa. This pancocojams post also showcases the Marakwet wedding song "Anyiny Tumdo" as performed by the Kalya Cultural Dancers. The English lyrics for this song which were given as captions in this video are also included in this pancocojams post (with a few minor spelling changes and a change in the order of two verses.)

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to Kalya Cultural Dancers for their musical and cultural legacy. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this video and thanks to the composer/s of this song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. -snip- I noticed how the people in this video are doing a dance that I and many people in the United States and in some other countries would describe as the "Conga line". However, that dance in this video may be a traditional Marakwet dance and not doing the Conga or copying off of the Conga line.  Be that as it may, I've added a tag for "African processional videos, and a tag for "Conga line" so that I (and others) can find this post in the future.  

**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE KALENJIN From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalenjin_people "The Kalenjin comprise a number of ethnic groups indigenous to East Africa, residing mainly in what was formerly the Rift Valley Province in Kenya. They number 6,358,113 individuals as per the Kenyan 2019 census. They are divided into 11 culturally and linguistically related tribes: Kipsigis, Nandi, Keiyo, Marakwet, Sabaot, Pokots, Tugen, Terik, Sengwer, Lembus, and Ogiek.[2] They speak Kalenjin languages, which belong to the Nilotic language family.[1]"... **** INFORMATION ABOUT THE MARAKWET From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marakwet_people "The Marakwet are one of the groups forming the ethnolinguistic Kalenjin community of Kenya, they speak the Markweta language. The Marakwet live in five territorial sections namely Almoo, Cherangany (Sengwer or Kimaala), Endoow, Sombirir (Borokot) and Markweta (the dialect giving rise to the common name). Cutting across these territorial groups are a number of clans to which each Marakwet belongs. There were 119,969 Marakwet people in 2019.[1]

Most Marakwet today live in the Elgeyo-Marakwet County, a notably beautiful and picturesque part of Kenya. It is bounded to the east by the Kerio River at 1000 m above sea level, which runs through a small branch of the Great Rift Valley. To the west it includes almost the entire Cherang’any hills which rise to 3300 m above sea level west of the Marakwet escarpment. Significant populations of individuals of Marakwet heritage are also resident in the Trans Nzoia, and Uasin Gishu counties, as well as in other towns in Kenya. Others have moved to live in places as far away as Australia, Southern Africa, the Middle East, and United States."...

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ENGLISH LYRICS FOR THE MARAKWET SONG "ANYINY TUMDO" (BLESSED CEREMONY)
(as sung by Kalya Cultural Dancers) *

We are full of joy
Colorful ceremony
In a Holy place
Blessed ceremony, Haaa iyaa. bride and groom this is your day.

Marriage at the altar
Coloful ceremony
The wedding is blessed
Blessed ceremony, Haaa iyaa. bride and groom this is your day.

It started with Adam
Colorful ceremony
Adam and Eve
Blessed ceremony, Haaa iyaa. bride and groom this is your day.

Marriage was there
Colorful ceremony
Marriage is blessed
Blessed ceremony, Haaa iyaa. bride and groom this is your day.

Such a beautiful couple
Colorful ceremony
Blessed ceremony
Blessed ceremony,
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Guest have arrived
Colorful ceremony
With blessings
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Guests have arrived
Colorful ceremony
From all directions.
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Parents have come
Colorful ceremony
Together with uncles
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Many have come
to the coloful ceremony
Blessed ceremony
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Good hearted couple
Colorful ceremony
Are fulled with joy
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Our beautiful bride
Colorful ceremony.
Beloved daughter
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Here are your sisters
Colorful ceremony
Come bearing gifts
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Brothers are coming
colorful ceremony
Together with your sisters
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

See how people are happy?
Colorful ceremony
Enjoying your cremony
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

See how women 
Colorful ceremony
Are rejoicing
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

See how men
Colorful ceremony
Are rejoicing
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Our marriage is blessed
Colorful ceremony
We thank our guests
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

This day has been successful
Colorful ceremony
We thank our guests
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Goodbye to all
Colorful ceremony
And keep the love
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Goodbye to our visitors
Colorful ceremony
And keep the love
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Blessed ceremony
Colorful ceremony
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.

Blessed ceremony
Colorful ceremony
Blessed ceremony
Haaa iyaa
Bride and groom, this is your day.
-snip-
This is my transcription from the captions in that YouTube video.

Notice that I made minor changes in some lines: 
-I corrected the spelling of the word "altar" and replacing the word "on" with "at" for the words "at the altar"
- I changed "sister" to "sisters" (since the plural word "sisters" was mentioned in the following verse).
-I changed the word "gift" to gifts" in the line "your sisters are coming bearing gifts"
-I changed the line "bye our visitors" to "goodbye to our visitors"

No disrespect intended, but the order of the verses that are given above is a change from the order that the verses were sung in this video. I moved the "Our marriage is blessed" and "This day has been successful" to right before the "Goodbye to our guests" verse instead of after the "See how people are happy" verse.
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I changed that order because it seemed to me that putting the verses in the couple's voices together makes e more sense than separating those verses.

Again, I mean no disrespect. I love the words, the music, the dancing, the clothing...I love everything about this video and really appreciate that the publisher added English captions since unfortunately, that is the only language I know. Adding English captions helped me-and I'm sure many other people-understand this wonderful Marakwet wedding song. I'm grateful for that. 

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Additional Pancocojams Editor's Notes: 
I wonder if it is the custom for one or more people within the Marakwet communityto improvise the beginning words to this song at weddings and have no fixed order for the verses and no fixed limit for the number of verses. I'd  love to "hear" from anyone who is familiar with this song as sung by the Marakwets regarding this speculation.

I'd also love to learn whether the dance that is performed in this video which resembles what Americans call "the Congo line" is traditional to the Marakwets culture.

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