From the arid plains of Africa to centre-stage at one of Norwich’s theatres. The Osiligi Troupe of Maasai Warriors performed at the Maddermarket theatre last night as part of a tour to increase awareness of their traditions and also raise funds to help their community of about 600 people near Kenya’s capital Nairobi.Made up of five men and two women, the troupe shared African rhythms, lullabies and songs in their native language of Maa, and performed ritual dances including their traditional jumping dance in the Maddermarket show.Orford-based John Curtin, who organised the Osiligi Warriors’ tours for a number of years, said: "The performance is the story of their life. The important thing is that what we are trying to do is convey their culture to everyone.”In the past, the Maasai were nomadic pastoralists, roaming with their cattle, but now much of the land long used by their ancestors has become tourist game reserves or fenced off, droughts in recent years have hit the community hard, some families have lost most of their cattle, and near starvation has forced many Maasai to leave their homes and lifestyle. Agencies