The kumkum seloselo dancers tell a story through their dance of the fishermen who net the ‘kumkum’ reef fish
A dancing group makes its entrance into the festival dancing arena with the sounding of horns and conch shells
treat the canoe like their wife. When they come to an island they have to unload all the cargo on to the beach straight away and let the lady rest so she can take them safely again the next day. “If you don’t respect the lady you will get bad luck. If you have a good sailing canoe, you will have a proper home, food to feed your children and be looked on as a big man.” Beyond Watts Island’s canoe races and on- water activity, the new annual festival offers a variety of cultural experiences
such as traditional dances – ‘magisubu’ (eagle) which mimics the soaring flight of the majestic bird and ‘kumkum seloselo’, a legend involving the fishermen who net the ‘kumkum’ (small dark brown reef fish). Also deeply cultural is the demonstration of how ‘kune and leyau’ trading is carried out
between two kula ring partners, which involves an initially fiery exchange of degrading words as one partner arrives on the beach in his canoe, dragging his bagi (shell necklaces) and mwali (shell money) – signs of wealth, pride and power.
talk or discuss,” says Mathew. “The meeting
can take weeks if they don’t reach a
consensus. When an agreement is reached, then the process is over, both traders are now satisfied and one can depart back to his home.” Other activities include feasting on roasted pigs and local seafood,
“Kune and leyau is the moment when the partners meet,
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