The Karal Kafi is a popular dance tradition of the B'laan people in the Davao region of the Philippines. The dance mimics the movements of the male kafi bird, with dancers wearing colorful costumes and manipulating cloth around their necks to resemble the bird's wings spreading display. It is performed at celebrations and festivals, and each performance depends on the individual skill of the dancer. The dance takes its name from the B'laan words "karal" meaning dance and "kafi" referring to the bird it imitates.

1. KARAL KAFI
(B’laan Bird Dance)

2. INTRODUCTION
B’laan refers to “to the people living in houses”,
an ethnoliguistic group living in the areas of
Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, and Sarangani.
The B’laan community are basically swidden
farmers who tend to small fields in the forest
clearing.

3. The kafi bird is almost as legendary as the beautiful
maidens who mimic them in dance.
Taking inspiration from the male kafi who spread
their wings to display colorful plumage, the
dancers don themselves in the best finery during
their dance.
The Karal Kafi ranks the most popular dance
tradition of the B’laan, so that no festivity is
complete without the performance of this dance.

4. Each Kafi dance is unique because the
performance depends upon the skill
and artistry of the performer.

5. Etymology
Karal is B’laan for dance; kafi is a name of a bird.
Karal Kafi literally means “dance of the kafi
bird”.

6. Dance Properties
Dance Culture- Highland Indigenous
Place of Origin- Davao del Sur
Ethnoliguistic Group- B’laan
Classification- Mimetic
Props- “kumut” (malong) slung around the neck
manipulated to resemble bird wings.

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