Lebowa: Dancing to the heartbeat of the drum

And so, our dance is called lebowa, a tribute to who we are and where we come from. To dance lebowa (Go bina) is like following a river that has streamed through generations of Bapedi women, carrying our stories, identities, and the power to reclaim our place in society.

Originating in Limpopo province among the greater Bapedi people, lebowa is a traditional, female-only dance that has long served as a cultural symbol of unity and identity. It is deeply rooted in communal participation – drumming, singing, expressive movement, and symbolic attire.

Lebowa has played a vital role in various cultural events such as weddings, rituals, ancestral ceremonies, and female initiation rites. The dance is often performed at cultural gatherings, where it functions both as a social and spiritual practice.

Lebowa is also a means of communication within the community, as its songs often serve as a form of social reprimand. For instance, one popular song, ‘Sebodu sa bo Mmashela’, is sung to lazy girls who wake up late, often accompanied by sarcasm. This song, in particular, became familiar to me as a young girl when my grandmother would sing it to me whenever I woke after the sun was out.

While go bina (to dance) lebowa involves handclapping, ululation, singing, and dancing, its essence lies in meropa (drums). The drum ensemble consists of three drums: the mother drum, which is the largest and typically played by an older woman, and the two sister drums, which follow the rhythm of the mother drum. This structure symbolises familial hierarchy, where daughters are expected to listen to and follow the guidance of the mother.

Meropa are integral to our cultural identity as Bapedi people, and they are especially significant in our ceremonies, where they serve as a means of connecting with our ancestors.

Some of the songs performed in lebowa are also sung in the male dance dinaka, demonstrating the shared cultural and linguistic heritage of Bapedi musical traditions. One such song is ‘Kgetsi Lesaka’, which was traditionally sung during times of successful harvest. The words “kgetsi” and “lesaka” both mean bag, symbolising bags filled with maize or sorghum – a sign of abundance and prosperity.

However, beyond celebrating agricultural success, this song also serves as a linguistic and cultural bridge among Bapedi people. The inclusion of both kgetsi and lesaka in a single song highlights the interplay between different dialectal variations within the Bapedi linguistic landscape. The terms originate from variations of Sepedi, which has historically been referred to as Sesotho sa Leboa or Northern Sotho in different contexts.

By using both words, the song recognises and navigates the linguistic divisions that exist within the Bapedi people. It promotes inclusivity by ensuring that speakers of different dialects find representation in the song, fostering a sense of unity among Bapedi communities across various regions. At the same time, the use of different words for the same concept can create subtle forms of exclusion, marking linguistic distinctions that reflect historical, geographical, and social differences.

Go bina lebowa as a whole plays a significant role in reinforcing a collective Bapedi identity beyond regional and dialectal boundaries. The dance, performed across various parts of Limpopo and even beyond, becomes a shared cultural practice that unites women through movement, rhythm, and song.

Regardless of the specific dialect spoken in a given community, lebowa provides a space where language becomes secondary to the embodied experience of dance and drumming. The structure of the drumming itself – with the mother drum leading and the sister drums following – mirrors the principles of unity, hierarchy, and collective participation that define Bapedi social organisation.

Furthermore, the dance incorporates songs that address communal concerns, historical events, and everyday experiences, making it an evolving tradition that reflects contemporary Bapedi life. In doing so, lebowa not only preserves the cultural heritage of Bapedi women but also actively shapes and reaffirms Bapedi identity in the face of linguistic and regional diversity.

At the heart of lebowa lies the drum – meropa – the powerful pulse of Bapedi tradition, culture, and identity. More than a musical instrument, the drum is a living archive of our history, a sacred vessel that carries the voices of our ancestors into the present. It is through meropa that the dance finds its rhythm, that stories are told, and that generations of Bapedi women proudly find their place within the continuum of cultural memory. The mother drum, leading with wisdom and authority, mirrors the role of matriarchs in shaping and guiding the community, while the sister drums echo the collective strength and resilience of women moving together in unison. In every beat, there is a call to remember, to honour, and to preserve – not only the music but the spirit of unity, pride, and resilience deeply embedded in Bapedi womanhood. Thus, lebowa is more than a dance; it is an act of cultural preservation, a rhythmic declaration of identity, and a testament to the enduring power of meropa in keeping the past alive within the present.

As in Sepedi, we would say: Sa kosha ke lerole! (Dust is the rhythm of the song!) Moropa ga o lle! (Let the drum beat!).

Tsosheletso Chidi is a writer, poet, and literary curator with a PhD in African Languages from the University of Pretoria. Her research focuses on indigenous languages and their role in shaping social meaning, particularly in representations of homosexuality. She has published widely, including her novel The Baby Is Born (2015), Dirurubele-Wandering Butterflies  (2024), and translations of the Loss-Ilahleko choreopoem. She has curated the 2024 Time of the Writer Festival and advocates for emerging writers, indigenous languages.