Beni (music)

Beni, also spelled Mbeni, is an indigenized East African form of brass band music. The word beni derives from the English word "band." Beni appropriated symbols of colonial authority as the military drill, uniform, and elaborate hierarchies.

The beni ngoma is a competitive dance genre based on a military drill performed to brass-band music. The corresponding Beni dance was developed during the colonial era, and mimicked military and colonial traditions with Africanized music and movement of the dancers. Beni has been considered an evolution of taarab, a traditional form of Swahili music.

This kind of dance to brass music also included Swahili songs. It is a popular form of wedding entertainment with a strong focus on rhythm and dance, and audience participation.