The Zaouli dance

The Zaouli dance is a very popular traditional art of the Kweni (Gouro) people, in homage to feminine beauty. It is a graceful dance based on the dancer’s dexterity and agility. It is said to bring happiness and abundant harvests to the villages where it is performed.

Exceptional dancers

The best dancers can reach record performances of 200 steps per minute!! Note that each Kweni (Gouro) village has its own Zaouli dancer. One of the most famous contemporary dancers is the Zaouli of Manfla!

A dance that crosses borders

The Zaouli dance and rhythm are known far beyond Côte d’Ivoire. Several YouTubers around the world have made video edits based on the zaouli dance. One of them, setting the zaouli to music by vincivinci, has more than 33 million views. (Link below the post)

In the Ultimes Griots universe, you will find two nods to the zaouli. The first is “Petit Zaouli”, the narrator of the comic’s episodes. The second refers to Jela, a colorful female character you will meet in book 3. Until then, stay tuned!

Surakata!
link: https://youtu.be/dDYN2D4MvOM