Kwagh-Hir
Something Magical
Kwagh-Hir, is the performative storytelling art form of the Tiv tribe. Directly translated Kwagh-Hir means “Something is about to Begin”, however, Tiv is a poetic and layered language so it is more commonly read as “Something Magical". The first few beats of the drum ring through the air and instantly we become an audience. Ready to be entertained and drawn into the tale woven by the larger than life characters coming onto this pedestrian beaten ground that has been transmuted by our collective attention into an arena. This is Kwagh-Hir.
Kwagh-hir is far from a stagnant art, it evolves and moves with the times, through the addition of new characters and stories geared to addressing critical issues as they evolve within *Tar-Tiv. It's reactionary, evocative and has been channeled as an effective tool for social change, for example through the addition of stories and characters pertaining to the Aids crisis. However, Kwagh-hir faces challenges with visibility due to a lack of resources and migration of the younger population - who are the rightful heirs of these customs - towards urban centres as it is largely a rural practice.