Commanding pride of place in her village in Senegal, 90-year-old Daba Ndione leans back in her chair and watches the younger grandmothers pull each other up from the ground to dance.

Laughing as they shimmy and shake in their brightly coloured dresses, the women burst into song. But instead of traditional tunes about love and fortune, the songs are an ode to the influence of grandmothers across the West African nation.

"We thank our grandmothers for taking care of us when we're sick," the circle of women sing, melodic in their native language Wolof, while dancing and clapping.