The Original Gender Reveal

(Dedicated to the little warriors whose cry called us to ululate once more.)

We recently gathered in a friend’s house for one of those beautiful men’s moments — laughter, stories, and that quiet pride that fills the air when one of us becomes a father.

There was music, warmth, and, of course, muratina — that sacred nectar that turns ordinary talk into the kind of wisdom that only makes sense when the gourd has gone halfway down.

And somewhere between the laughter and the sip, it struck me — how beautiful the original gender reveal used to be.

Before the Balloons and the Powder

Today, gender reveals are an explosion of pink and blue. Cakes hide secrets, balloons burst into confetti, and someone always catches it all on camera. It’s fun, dramatic, even spectacular.

But before the colors, before the cameras and countdowns, our people had their own way.

They didn’t use balloons — they used breath.
They didn’t need fireworks — they had voices.
When a child was born, the community didn’t wait for a post — they listened.

If you heard four ululations, a girl had arrived.
If you heard five, a boy had been born.

But those ululations — ngemi — were not just about gender.
They were blessings sung through rhythm, virtues spoken in sound.

Four for the Girl 

The girl’s four ululations, ngemi inya cia kairitu, formed a complete circle — a song of balance.
Each sound carried a virtue:

• Uthamaki – Leadership: The ability to govern oneself and others with fairness and grace.

• Ugo – Healing: The power to mend — to restore harmony in body, spirit, and community.

• Urathi – Prophetic Insight: The divine ability to see beyond the visible — to discern seasons and speak truth before it unfolds.

• Utonga – Wealth: Abundance of spirit and substance — the capacity to create, sustain, and share life.

The four ululations formed the full measure of inner strength — completeness, balance, and harmony.

Five for the Boy 

The boy’s ngemi ithano cia kahii carried the same four virtues, but added a fifth — the one that sent him beyond the walls of home.

• Ucamba – Bravery: Courage, endurance, and the will to defend what is right and true.

That fifth ululation was the outward call — to protect, to explore, to build, and to extend the legacy.

To the Little Warriors

And so, to the little warriors — within and beyond the Global Fast Fit circle — whose coming stirred our hearts:

Go forth, be a Prophet — bring light to your generation.
Go forth, be a King — govern with fairness and humility.
Go forth, be a Healer — mend what is broken in body and spirit.
Go forth, be a Wise Man — preserve harmony through understanding.
Go forth, be a Warrior — stand firm, protect, and lead with courage.

Five ululations were sounded for you — not just to announce your birth, but to proclaim your destiny.

The Beauty of the Old Ways

When I think of today’s gender reveals — the confetti, the colored smoke, the cheers — I smile. They’re joyous, yes, but they only reveal what the child is.
Our ancestors revealed who the child was meant to become.

They didn’t say, “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl.”
They said, Here comes one who will lead, think wisely, see truly, prosper deeply, and stand bravely.

That was the original gender reveal — not of color, but of character.

And as for the muratina — that story deserves its own day.
I’ll tell you about it next time.