Life Is All About Rhythm

When I hear the word “rhythm”, the first thing that comes to mind with great excitement is some of my favourite songs. One of them is the famous 2010 Soccer World Cup song “Waka”, by Shakira. Nothing compares to dancing to the beat of African and Latino rhythms because it is alive, filled with tons of energy and passion.

Shakira - Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Song)

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I remember very well, how the entire South Africa were inspired and united by the vibe of us hosting the world cup in 2010. Everyone from all nationalities, whether young or old, learned the steps to the “Waka” with vigour. Two months before the World Cup, you heard this song constantly playing on every radio station, in the shopping malls and houses; people were practising their steps nearly everywhere, even on the streets.

Afro-Cuban music has a very rich and distinctive rhythmical pattern which flows through your body like blood through your veins, making you and the music become one. It stirs your body, unconsciously, to respond to the beat by either tapping your feet or using other body parts to keep the rhythm. We cannot argue that good music is all about the rhythm.

I believe rhythm is in everything, you can feel it within, and around you. The word “Rhythm” derived from the ancient Greek word “Ruthmos”, which means a measured flow or movement, a pattern of pulses, recurring sequence of events or processes.

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We have a very deep connection with rhythm, our first experience was in our mother’s womb, feeling her heart beat, the sound of her voice and her breathing. Our body has its own unique rhythms. Doctors use these rhythms to measure our heartbeat, blood pressure and pulse which is an indicator to them of our wellbeing. We have both internal and external rhythms.

Nature uses rhythmical patterns to self-organize. We experience this phenomenon in the phases of the moon, the rising and setting of the sun, and in the changing of the tides and seasons. We are governed by the forces of nature, it indicates when we wake up or go to sleep, it even influences our activities during the different seasons. We use rhythms in the way we do things, executing our daily tasks, in our traditions and celebrations.

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Rhythm is a pattern, it is something that happens over and over again, repeating itself. We hear it in our voices, in our music, the fall of the rain, the crushing of the waves. We see it in our art, in our writing, in the way we execute activities, and in nature. I believe everything is rhythm, there is no movement without rhythm.

I believe life is rhythm.

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