CULTURE IS,NOT WAS

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Drum Major

On August 18, 2025

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Lately, there has been a vibrant revival of Agikuyu-themed festivals:gatherings that pulse with the rhythms of our traditions and remind us who we are. This renaissance has been fueled partly by the cultural awakening taking root in the House of Mũmbi and partly by Gen Z and Millennials yearning for a sense of authentic identity in a world that often feels rootless.

As a student of culture, I find this deeply impressive. We are repackaging our way of life for modern times,not preserving it in glass jars in museums. For culture is not what our people used to live. Culture is how we live now. In short, culture is, not was.

Yet, there’s an interesting pattern worth noting: many of these festivals carry names tilted toward the feminine. We have Ngemi,ululations, with its soft, feminine connotations. We have Mataha, a name tied to food-and in our traditions, food so often reflects the nurturing role of women. There’s also Ndumo, echoing the energy of women’s traditional dance.

It makes one wonder: is this because many of these events are organized by women?

Still, balance is vital. If our cultural revival is to be complete, we must also draw from the well of masculine energy that once balanced our traditions. As we head into the festive season, which beautifully overlaps with our initiation season, why not breathe life into names and events that capture that spirit?

Imagine a festival called Mararanja-an all-night emotional jamboree for initiates, where boys feverishly danced childhood away in deeply psychological music before facing the knife. Or Kibaata-a dance for the warriors on the threshold of adulthood, pulsing with raw courage and testosterone.

As we repurpose our culture for the present and the future, let us remember to carry forward the gender balance that once anchored us, before the rude interruption by the mzungu.

Thaayù!