For hundreds of years, the territory of present-day Luanda was inhabited by various African tribes. Modern townspeople are the direct descendants of indigenous people. The preservation of historical traditions and culture is an important part of life for them. Today, their traditional customs and habits are embodied in many spheres of life. They continue to cook traditional dishes according to centuries-old recipes, practice farming and fishing, also paying great attention to craft traditions.
All the holidays are accompanied by beautiful music and dance performances. Luanda residents consider Semba to be their main national dance. This dance genre is often called the "music of the sea" and dates back hundreds of years. The ancient dance was once performed during important religious rituals and holidays, but today it is an obligatory part of all local festivals and celebrations. Some experts believe that this distinctive dance was the forerunner of the world-famous Latin American samba.
Local traditional music is also pretty special. Drums remain one of the favorite musical instruments here. During musical performances and solemn processions, you can see musicians with drums of various shapes and sizes. Another unusual musical instrument is marimba. This percussion instrument looks a bit like a classic xylophone, but the sound is completely different. Until recently, it was only possible to watch enchanting performances of local musicians and dancers on major holidays.
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