As darkness sets on the island of Zanzibar, excited shouts, music and the ululating of women fills the air. Dressed in their most colourful and stylish outfits, donned with heavy gold bracelets and chains, their hands and feet decorated with flower patterns made from traditional henna, the women anxiously await the arrival of the star of the evening: the bride. As the live band in the expansive hall draws the crowd to a climax, the bride makes her grand entry.
She enters amidst shouts of ‘Bibi Harussi, the bride, has come!’ as the women let out their high-pitched sounds of joy. Her mother, friends, sisters and aunties follow in her footsteps, dancing and singing, literally escorting her in. Her
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