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Dance and Music

Dance was integral to life on the islands. Women would wear elaborate head scarves and beautiful skirts when dancing around a beach bonfire. No dance would be complete without the ravan (a traditional circular drum) crafted out of local wood and goats skin. The skin would have been heated over the fire to harden it and make the drum echo to the tone they wanted. The songs were full of personal messages, making each one unique, they would sing about their life and the beautiful environment around them.

 

For more information about history check Chagos: A History available from the Chagos Conservation Trust.