What is "manau"

Manau is a French hip hop group formed in 1998, known for their fusing of traditional Celtic melodies with modern hip hop beats. It was initially composed of Martial Tricoche, Cédric Soubiron, and R.V. (Hervé) Lardic until R.V.'s departure and replacement by Gregor Gandon. Although the band is currently based in Paris, all of the members can trace their roots back to Brittany. The group's name comes from the old Gaelic name for the Isle of Man.

Manau may refer to:

• Manau (group), a hip-hop band
• Manau, Nepal
• Rattan, a plant, from the Malay rotan manau
• Manau (dance), a Burmese dance
• Manau Gododdin or Manaw Gododdin, an area of what is now Scotland in the Early Middle Ages
• Mânău, a village in Ulmeni town, Maramureş County, Romania

The manau dance is a traditional ceremony common to the Kachin (or Jingpo) people of northern Myanmar (Burma), Yunnan, China and Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Although the majority of Kachin people are Christian, the manau has its roots in animistic religion. The manau ground where the ceremony takes place is the cultural center of Kachin communities.

Manaus can be held throughout the year, but the biggest manau dance, the sut manau, is held in January. Many Kachin towns hold manau dances, with the largest celebrations taking place in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State in Myanmar, in Laiza, the capital of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), and in Ruili, a center of Kachin culture in Yunnan, China.

During the manau, a senior official leads a procession of dancers in circles around the sacred manau poles, which are decorated with diamond symbols and curved lines. Loud drums provide a beat for the dancers to follow. The manau leader wears a traditional headdress decorated with hornbill feathers.

Male dancers hold a traditional Kachin sword called a n'htu during the dance.