In the heart of ancient Yemeni memory, where the past meets the present, stand the ["Tasa" (Arabic: طاسة)] and the ["Marfa" (Arabic: مرفع)] two companions in a symphony of rhythms that fill the Yemeni spirit with sounds of pride and heroism. These two instruments weave the magical moments of the Bara’a dance a dance that is not merely a performance but a living tale of love and war, a story told by the body through its movements, and by the instruments through their deep, resonant sounds. The Tasa: The Tasa is that metal vessel whose sound harmonizes with the heartbeat of the earth. Sometimes its rhythms scatter like calls that summon enthusiasm, and other times, it whispers with a longing to the days of ancient wars. When struck by the player, its echo spreads through the air, like a reverberation of the hearts of warriors who once wrote a history of courage and sacrifice. The Tasa becomes the pulse of the Bara’a, breathing life into every step of the dance. When the Tasa meets the Marfa, their sounds merge, and a thunderous resonance fills the horizon with tales of love and war. The spirits of soldiers from history seem to leap between the daylight and the darkness of night. As the sounds harmonize, you almost see the faces of the knights, their steady hands gripping their daggers, ready to leap between the joy of a wedding and the fierceness of battle. The Marfa: The Marfa, crafted from the hides of bulls, flows with sound like the waves of the sea, merging rhythm with flexibility, power with gentleness. It is the voice of war, yet also the voice of joy and life. The musician strikes it with two wooden sticks, and each beat carries a call for movement, for dance, as breath quickens and bodies sway in time with the Tasa’s rhythm. In each strike of the Marfa, there is an invitation to action, a dance where breath races, and bodies move fluidly, responding to the rhythm that binds past and present together. The Marfa’s beat reveals the power of cultural awareness, where each strike becomes a mark of victory and anticipation, of joy and loss, of war meeting peace. The Rhythm of Bara’a: The Dance of Love and War At the moment the Tasa and Marfa converge, the Bara’a dance begins, a dance that is more than steps on the ground. It is a cry of the soul in an embrace between earth and sky, between joy and sorrow, between freedom and conflict. The men begin to move their feet lightly and gracefully, performing fluid movements that mimic combat stances, while holding their daggers with expertise. Their bodies sway in harmony with the Tasa and Marfa, creating a visual symphony of history and emotion. Every movement in the Bara’a carries a message. The dance is not simply for aesthetic display but is a profound expression of identity, a declaration of deep history, and a narrative of battles that never truly end. Today, as in the past, Bara’a remains part of every celebration, every joyous occasion, sparking a deep longing for the past and reviving the memory of a cultural heritage that will never be forgotten. The Tasa and the Marfa give life to the dance. Their music, intertwined with the rhythms of hope and sorrow, cannot be separated from the history they embody. The Bara’a will forever remain the queen of dances in Yemen, a witness to every love that fought for existence, and every war that shaped its story of victory. You can see more about the the dance and about The Tasa and the Marfa here 1- https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/yemen-al-baraa-dance 2- https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/yemen-the-yemeni-janbiya
