Meet the Manjas, a community of Ceylon Africans. Discover an indigenous-led musical performance preserving this unique Sri Lankan heritage.
A little village tucked away in Puttalam located in the North West part of the island is home to a community of Ceylon Africans. Yes you read it correct and it being a surprise to you is not surprising as many Sri Lankans themselves wouldn’t believe this too. During the days when Sri Lanka was under colonial masters, many Africans slaves were brought down to Sri Lanka as laborers or soldiers to fight the Sri Lankan rebels and protect the masters. While some of them left with their masters, a few of them remained in the country. The Sri Lankan “Kaffirs” are those descendants that we will meet today to see a short musical performance.
Although their distinctive “Creole” native language has faded away and is now almost extinct, in an attempt to keep the traditions going, Peter Luvie, one of those fifth generation descendants got together some village members and formed a musical band named “Ceylon African Manja”. Their songs and dances have now become the only form of passing on the language to the next generation.
The songs usually start slowly on a pensive mood but the tempo gradually increases to a jolly good mood while giving some hints of Baila or Kaffringna which are more popular forms of dance music which have been influenced by the folk music of the Africans. Feel free to join them and try a couple of dance steps yourselves but keep in mind you are not here for a Metallica or Coldplay concert with huge amplifiers and speakers. At most you will see a local Dolki drum and many of the other instruments consists of stuff like coconut shells, table spoons and empty bottles.
They say Music is a universal language – it’s even more beautiful when it becomes a bridge and means of preserving a culture. While we still prefer to keep these hidden gems as a secret without being commercialized, with this visit we contribute exactly to that.
Finally, our journey bridges the shared heritage of Sri Lanka’s diverse communities for a truly indigenous-led cultural discovery with the Manjas. To support the preservation of this unique musical legacy, please contact our team at sales.srilanka@khiri.com for details.