The Bamboo Dance (Translated) Part 1 - Preface It was in 1891.  It has been four years since Mbumi and Chulu returned to Kw’iloza (Kilosa), Usagara, from Bagamoyo where they went to find their mother who had been taken into slavery.   The difficulties of their journey are narrated in the story of Songs of Sokomoko.

A lot had happened since Mbumi and Chulu returned to Kw’iloza.    The German colonists had succeeded in imposing their rule and begin to use the people to cultivate their farms and to build roads.  Those who refused to do this work were beaten with hippo hide and thrown in prison.  Those who rebelled were hung.   The people were distraught with misery and suffering.

At the beginning of 1891, the secret uprising against the German began.   This uprising was led by Mundewa Chief of Kw’iloza and spread among the neighbouring villages of the Usagara region.   When the Germans got news of this, they brought a brigade of soldiers from Bagamoyo, led by Mr Nyundo (Emil Von Zelewski) in order to repress this uprising. This enemy brigade arrived in Usagara during the hot period of the rainy season and started to terrorise the villages and to burn houses and farms.  The plans for self-defence were established in the village of Kw’iloza.

Before the arrival of the Germans, the battalion of Sokomoko were earning themselves a good reputation from their acts of bravery harassing the Arabs slavers going past Kw’iloza.   When the Germans arrived Sokomoko was given the responsibility of monitoring their activities, to know their plans and to bring news about their operations in the villages around Usagara.