Luo (Kenya)
Luo (also called
Jo-Luo; formerly
Nilotic Kavirondo) are a people (tribe) living in flat country (
Luoland) near
Lake Victoria, mostly in western
Kenya (the "Kenya Luo"), but also in eastern
Uganda and northern
Tanzania. They are the most populous group of
Nilotes and constitute the third largest ethnic group (11%) in
Kenya, after the
Kikuyu (21%), with whom they shared major political power in the first years of Kenyan independence (from 1963) and the
Luhya (14%). Formerly
pastoralists, they are now settled agriculturists who also keep many cattle. Outside Luoland, the Luo are now found throughout eastern Africa as tenant farmers, agricultural laborers, and urban workers. They speak the
Dholuo language, which belongs to the
Western Nilotic branch of the
Nilo-Saharan language family spoken by other (
Western Nilotic) peoples such as the
Lango,
Acholi,
Padhola and
Alur (all of
Uganda).
The Luo probably originated in southern
Sudan, at
Wau, near the confluence of the
Meride &
Sue Rivers. The Kenya Luo migrated into present day western
Kenya via present day eastern
Uganda, the first wave arriving sometime around 1500 AD. Arrivals came in at least five waves arriving at different times rather than as a single discrete migration: (1) the
Joka-Jok (who migrated from
Acholiland; the first & largest migration); (2) Those migrating from
Alur; (3) the
Owiny (who migrated from
Padhola); (4) the
Jok'Omolo (perhaps from
Pawir); and (5) The
Abasuba (a heterogeneous group in southern
Nyanza, with
Bantu elements). The present day Kenya Luo traditionally consist of 12 sub-tribes (each in turn composed of various clans & sub-clans): (1)
Jo-Gem, (2)
Jo-Ugenya, (3)
Jo-Seme, (4)
Jo-Kajulu, (5)
Jo-Karachuonyo, (6)
Jo-Nyakach, (7)
Jo-Kabundo, (8)
Jo-Kisumo (Jo-Kisumu), (9)
Jo-Kano, (10)
Jo-Asembo, (11)
Jo-Uyoma, (12)
Jo-Sakwa. ( "Jo-" indicates "people of…".)
By the 1840's, the
Luo had a tight-knit society with
ruodhi or regional chiefs. In
1915 the
Colonial Government sent
Odera Akang'o, the
ruoth of Gem, to
Kampala,
Uganda. He was impressed by the British settlement there and upon his return home he initiated a forced process of adopting western style of "schooling, dress and hygiene". This resulted in the rapid education of the
Luo in the
English language and ways.
The Luo were generally not dispossessed of their land by the British, thus avoiding the fate that befell the pastoral tribes inhabiting the Kenyan "
White Highlands". Many Luo played significant roles in the struggle for Kenyan independence, but the tribe was relatively uninvolved in the
Mau Mau Uprising of the 1950s. Instead, some Luo used their education to advance the cause of independence. The lawyer
C.M.G. Argwings-Kodhek, for example, applied his expertise to defend Mau Mau suspects in court.
Oginga Odinga, a prominent Luo leader, became the first Vice President of independent Kenya. However, differences with
Jomo Kenyatta led Oginga to leave the government and the ruling
KANU party in
1966. With Oginga's departure from the government the Luo were politically marginalized under the administrations of Kenyatta and Moi.
Many years of poor economic management of Kenya, especially during the administration of the
KANU party resulted in the Luo and a majority of Kenyans being systematically neglected. Ravaged by
AIDS and with little or no infrastructure in most parts, the Luo areas - with high economic potential due to the proximity to
Lake Victoria - remains poor and undeveloped. These factors being common in Kenya according the latest survey by the World Bank. http://www.worldbank.org/research/povertymaps/kenya/volume_index.htm
The most prominent Luo politician today is
Raila Odinga, the son of Oginga Odinga and former Minister of Roads and Public Works. He is widely credited with enabling
Mwai Kibaki to win the last presidential election through the support of his
Liberal Democratic Party.
The Luo traditionally believed in an afterlife and a supreme creator, whom they called
Nyasi (
Nyasaye), and had a strong ancestor cult. Today most Kenya Luo are
Christians.
The first major ritual in a Luo person's life is called
juogi naming ceremony. Any time between birth and age two, an ancestor would appear in a dream to an adult member of the family. It is generally believed that only people who did good things while alive appear in dreams this way and are thus "reincarnated". The child is supposed to assume some of the mannerisms of the ancestor he or she is named after. If the ancestor was quiet, the child becomes a quiet person in life, if talkative, same. The so named ancestor becomes the indivduals' "guardian angel" throughout his or her life. Evil people are rarely named. It is believed they go for good (to hell). The Luo are in the minority of ethnic groups in east Africa that do not practice
ritual circumcision of males as
initiation. Instead, children had their six lower front teeth carefully removed by experts at
initiation. This
ritual has mostly fallen out of use.
The Luo traditionally practice
polygamy though with young adults today this has largely fallen out of favor.
Traditionally, music was the most widely practiced art in the Luo community. At any time of the day or night, some music was being made. Music was not made for its own sake. Music was functional. It was used for ceremonial, religious, political or incidental purposes. Music was performed during funerals (
Tero buru) to praise the departed, to console the bereaved, keep people awake at night, express pain and agony and during cleansing and chasing away of spirits .Music was also played during ceremonies like beer parties (
Dudu, ohangla dance), welcoming back the warriors from a war, during a wrestling match (
Ramogi), during courtship, etc .Work songs too existed. These were performed both during communal work like building, weeding, etc. and individual work like pounding of cereals, winnowing. Music was also used for ritual' purposes like chasing away of evil spirits
(nyawawa), who visit the village at night, in rain making and during divinations and healing.
The Luo music was shaped by the total way of life, lifestyles, and life patterns of individuals of this community. Because of that the music had characteristics which distinguished it from the music of other communities. This can be seen, heard and felt in their melodies, rhythms, mode of presentation and dancing styles, movements and formations.
The melodies in the Luo music were lyrical, with a lot of vocal ornamentations. These ornaments came out clearly especially when the music carried out an important message. Their rhythms were characterized by a lot of syncopation and acrusic beginning. These songs were usually presented in solo-response style through solo performances were there too. The most common forms of solo performances were chants. These chants were recitatives with irregular rhythms and phrases which carried serious messages in them. Most of the Luo dances were introduced by these chants. For example the dudu dance.
Another unique characteristic in the Luo music is the introduction of yet another chant at the middle of a musical performance. The singing stops, the pitch of the musical instruments go down and the dance becomes less vigorous as an individual takes up the performance is self praise. This is referred to as
Pakruok. There was also a unique kind of ululation,
Sigalagala, that marked the climax of the musical performance.
The dance styles in the Luo folk music were elegant and graceful. It involved either the movement of one leg in the opposite direction with the waist in step with the syncopated beats of the music or the shaking of the shoulders vigorous usually to the tune of the
nyatiti an eight stringed instrument.
Adamson (1967) commented that Luos clad in their traditional costumes and ornaments deserve their reputation as the most picturesque people in Kenya. During most of their performances the Luo wore costumes and decorated themselves not only to appear beautiful but also to enhance their movements. These costumes included sisal skirts (
owalo), beads (
Ombulu / tigo) worn around the neck and waist and red or white clay were used by the ladies. The men's costumes included
kuodi or
chieno a skin warn from the shoulders or from the waist respectively to cover their nakedness.
Ligisa the headgear, shield and spear, reed hats, clubs among others. All these costumes and ornaments were made from locally available materials.
The Luo were also rich in musical instuments which ranged from, percussion (drums, clappers, metal rings,
ongeng'o, shakers), strings (e.g.,
nyatiti, a type of
lyre;
orutu, a type of
fiddle), wind (
tung a horn,Asili, a flute, A
bu-!', a trumpet).
Currently the Luo are associated with the
benga style of music. It is a lively style in which songs in
Dholuo,
Swahili,
English are sung to a lively guitar riff. It originated in the
1950s with Luo musicians trying to adapt their traditional tribal dance rhythms to western instruments. The
guitar (acoustic, later electric) replaced the
nyatiti as the string instrument.
Benga has become so popular that it is played by musicians of all tribes and is no longer considered a purely Luo style. It has become
Kenya's characteristic pop sound.
Luo singer and nyatiti player
Ayub Ogada received widespread exposure in 2005 when two of his songs were featured in
Alberto Iglesias' Academy Award-nominated score for
Fernando Mereilles' film adaptation of
The Constant Gardener.
Also see
Luo Section of Folk Music of Kenya*
Tom M'boya - Major Kenyan political leader until his assassination 6 years after independence
*
Barack Obama - African-American
United States Senator traces his lineage through his father to the Luo.
*
Oginga Odinga - Prominent Luo leader and first Vice President of independent Kenya
*
Raila Odinga - Most prominent Luo politician currently; son of
Oginga Odinga*
Ayub Ogada - Prominent Luo musician
*
Grace Ogot - Author
*
Bethwell Allan Ogot - Historian
*
Silvanus Melea Otieno - Posthumously controversial Nairobi criminal lawyer
*
Robert Ouko - Kenyan Foreign Minister, murdered in 1990
*
Robert Ouko - 1972 Olympic gold medalist
*Ogot, Bethwell A., "History of the Southern Luo: Volume I, Migration and Settlement, 1500-1900", (Series: Peoples of East Africa), East African Publishing House, Nairobi, 1967
*Senogazake, George, "Folk Music of Kenya"
