Since time began, mankind has looked upon the humble gourd as a symbol of fertility. Totems have been designed in the shape of the gourd and revered in worship by devotees seeking ethereal help in producing offspring. This paper incorporates information gathered from historical accounts, relics and local folklore to highlight the close association of life and death with the gourd. During ancient times, the gourd was used to make percussion receptacles that generated musical notes when struck. Then people started singing and dancing to these joyous sounds, celebrating life and the continuity of life bestowed by the gourd. That was the beginning of a culture of dancing to music. Tracing the path from man's worship of the gourd through to the birth of musical dance, this paper attests to the notion of ”the dance of life” as inspired by the life-giving gourd.