Dance to the Manulenjo

A Video for the Song

As you may know from a previous posting, the manulenjo is a short-necked banjo-shaped wooden-bodied instrument with four doubled-steel strings, the bottom four of which are in octaves—much like the lower strings on a twelve-string guitar—tuned the same as a ukulele (my dog has fleas).   

Though “Dance to the Manulenjo” had its beginnings as a song honoring the multicultural crafting of the instrument—an offspring of Italian, African and Portuguese instruments (mandolin/banjo/ukulele)—it soon became a soundtrack for a video commenting on the inability of far too many of our political representatives to have meaningful discourse with one another.  

Democracy suffers when we refuse to listen to another's point of view.

The lyric is sprinkled with metaphors. The Capitol is referred to as a “house on the hill” divided as “one side red and one side blue,” and a lack of dialogue between the two points of view is suggested by the lines “they don't dance here anymore” and “they can't hear the music.” Additionally, the chorus reminds us to “move a little bit left, a little bit right.” We would do well to follow our forebears who wrote the Constitution and the many immigrants who came to this country seeking freedom and justice. By compromise, “we the people” can realize a more perfect union.

In short, the manulenjo is more than an instrument. It's more than a dance. It's a call to respect our differences and celebrate this nation's promise.  nps