The Maldives offers a rich array of cultural delights to sample. If travellers seek a Maldives resort that promises to fulfil all luxurious needs, consider a stay at Anantara Veli Resort and Spa Maldives. This resort provides discerning travellers with a wide range of Maldives bungalows that mainly cater to honeymoon couples and families with children, as well as water sport enthusiasts. Whatever form of pleasure one visits the Maldives for, one can never go wrong with a taste of the local music and dance scene.
One of the most famous dances is the Bolimalaafath Neshun, mainly performed during festivals by 24 women to honour and offer gifts to the ruling sultan. The gift, called a “Kurandi Malaafath” is a stylishly decorated vase or box that holds a variety of colourful shells, which were a valuable commodity in the country’s past. There has not been a sultan since the Maldives became a republic in 1968, but the dance is still performed for the enjoyment of both tourists and locals.
The Fathigandu Jehun is a male-only dance, wherein each performer holds two bamboo sticks that he rhymically strikes together to form the beat of the music. A drummer hits a tin drum to set the pace of the musical narratives, which are usually epic stories. The most famous one is called the “Burunee Raivaru” which tells the tale of a sultan who embarked on a quest in search of a wife.
Women participate in a beautiful, Indian-inspired dance called the Bandiyaa Jehun, which sees the performers tapping the sides of metal pots with ringed fingers to create a unique melody. Modernity has now incorporated drums and harmonicas to the musical accompaniment. These traditional musical offerings are guaranteed to keep audiences swaying, clapping their hands and tapping their feet to meet the beat of these exotic, exciting performances!
