The Tale of Mkeke

In the tradition of African Griots, Sundiata presents a moving dramatic tale of a little girl who sings beautifully and is kidnapped by an evil Gimli who traps her in a drum. The Gimli travels from village to village and exploits people by convincing them that he has a magical singing drum. If they want to hear the drum sing, they must pay him. His plot comes to an end when he stops at the little girl's home village. Her sisters happen to pass by the Gimli and hear Mkeke humming her song inside the drum. They recognize her beautiful voice and immediately run home to tell their father. The father rushes to the village center to rescue his daughter. He and the people of the village outwit the evil Gimli and Mkeke returns to her family. The story is a rendition of an old African tale that has been presented in many versions by different storytellers.