I chose these five videos to help the whole world discover the different cultures, dances, and ethnicities of Niger and the Sahel region. In Niger, we have a rich, diverse culture with lots of potential, but we are mostly hidden from the rest of the world.

Music: Cure Salée (Niger, 2014)
Title: Tendé

This dance highlights the cultural heritage of Niger. It is from the Tuareg community in the North of the country, performed during a festival called the Cure Saleé, which is celebrated in the town of Ingal each year in the fall.

Title: Zarma Bitti (Niger, 2017)

This video shows a dance called Bitti Harey from the Zarma ethnic group from Niger. It is part of the traditional dance to celebrate the end of a good harvest, which especially highlights the Zarma woman.

Music: Troupe de Danse Traditionnelle (Burkina Faso, 2020)
Title: Peulh do Seno

This video shows a dance that captures the beauty and technicality of the Peulh culture. The stringed instrument is called a molo, and it accompanies a calabash percussion. The rhythm is for dancing and the dance steps are spectacular.

Music: Kokowa Ta Kakar Bara (Niger, 2020)

This is the «kokowa» dance from the Hausa region, a dance of the wrestlers, played with the Ganga, tam tam, and Kazagui instruments. The music awakens the bravery and determination in the wrestlers, giving them strength to face their opponents. The dance steps are special and pair with a spectacular rhythm that goes with the dance.

Video: Danses des Invulnerable (Niger, 2011)

This dance practiced by the gardy is called the dance of the invulnerable, or a dance with lots of ancestral power. It is not taught to anyone – only the initiates of the group are able to perform it, dancing with a Tam Tam rhythm and iron bells. The music calls on the djinn to give them the power to be invulnerable to the knife with the arrow and everything made of iron.