Malawi
Malawi is a landlocked country in southern Africa. It takes its name from the “Maravi,”
an ethnic group that migrated from the southern Congo around 1400 AD.
Today, Malawi is home to a multitude of different ethnic groups, the most prevalent being the Chewa, Tumbuka, Lomwe, and Yao.
Most of these groups have their own languages, which belong to the Bantu language group. Although about 82.3% of Malawians are Christian and 13.8% Muslim, traditional religion is still practiced in some of these communities.
Dance is a very important tool for these groups to express their cultural heritage. A multitude of different dances are performed to accompany every aspect of life, bringing the people together. Many of these dances tie back to customs practiced for multiple centuries. Others are distinctively modern and reflect the current dynamics of the country. Malawians take pride in this rich and complex heritage and work hard to safeguard and spread it across the globe. For instance, the Malawi National Dance Troupe (also known as the Kwacha Cultural Troup), which was founded in 1987, has the mission to preserve and perform dances of multiple ethnic groups.
This troupe even goes on tours to showcase these dances across the world. It can without a doubt be said that dance is an important part of the social fabric of Malawi, bringing together people from different regions and ethnic groups.
With over 80 traditional dances, Malawi is a country with diverse cultural beliefs and practices.These dances are performed on various occasions and for different reasons and are based on the beliefs of a particular tribe. For all the many tribes in Malawi, traditional dances are performed for a particular function or ceremony – for example during funerals, initiation ceremonies or harvest time. These are periods of unity, when families or villages come together, feast and resolve their differences. Some traditional dances are performed by everyone, while others are for particular people, based on their meaning and significance to the community.
The dances outlined above are some of the dances that influence the music of Malawi. Many of today’s popular urban artists are following the path of their traditions. A good example is rapper Tay Grin (real name Limbani Kalilani), who adopted his native Gule Wamkulu and fuses it with hip-hop to make his own sound. Local music and traditional dances seem to be going hand in hand, which is helping to preserve the magic and memories that these dances hold.
Refrences
List Of Dances
Vimbuza
Vimbuza is a healing dance popular among the Tumbuka people living in northern Malawi. It is an important manifestation of the ng’oma, a healing tradition found throughout Bantu-speaking Africa. Ng’oma, meaning “drums of affliction”, carries considerable historical depth and, despite various attempts over the years to suppress it, remains a fundamental part of indigenous healthcare systems.
Most patients are women who suffer from various forms of mental illness. They are treated for some weeks or months by renowned healers who run a temphiri, a village house where patients are accommodated. After being diagnosed, patients undergo a healing ritual. For this purpose, women and children of the village form a circle around the patient, who slowly enters into a trance, and sing
songs to call helping spirits. The only men taking part are those who beat spirit-specific drum rhythms and, in some cases, a male healer. Singing and drumming combine to create a powerful experience, providing a space for patients to “dance their disease”. Its continually expanding repertoire of songs and complex drumming, and the virtuosity of the dancing are all part of the rich cultural heritage of the Tumbuka people.
The Vimbuza healing ritual goes back to the mid-nineteenth century, when it developed as a means of overcoming traumatic experiences of oppression, and it further developed as a healing dance under British occupation, although it was forbidden by Christian missionaries. By becoming possessed by Vimbuza spirits, people could express these mental problems in a way that was accepted and understood by the surrounding society. For the Tumbuka,Vimbuza has artistic value and a therapeutic function that complements other forms of medical treatment. Vimbuza is still practised in rural areas where the Tumbuku live, but it continues to face oppression by Christian churches and modern medicine.
Inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005)
MALAWI Zambia
Region:
Northern Malawi
Ethnic group:
Tumbuka
Tchopa
Reference
UNESCO:
Tchopa is a performing art practised among Lhomwe communities in southern Malawi. The dance is usually performed during celebrations after good harvests and successful hunting, trips and during offerings to ancestral spirits after calamities such as droughts and outbreaks of disease.
Tchopa entails knowledge of particular dancing skills and singing, and employs three different sizes of drums. Twenty to thirty dancers perform in a circle
while criss-crossing each other. Some dancers carry packs on their backs holding farming tools, animal skins, puppets, hunting gear and old kitchen utensils. Each village headman has a small group of Tchopa dancers. Although primarily performed by older Lhomwe men and women, who function as the bearers and practitioners and principal custodians, Tchopa is now also increasingly performed by children. Knowledge and skills for the dance are transmitted during practice sessions and occasional performances. Other key roles among the group include the makers of dancing costumes and drums, drummers, whistlers and dancers.
Tchopa dance strengthens social cohesion among Lhomwe communities with members providing mutual support in times of need, such as during ill health and bereavement, and coming to the assistance of overburdened practitioners by providing communal labour in the field.
Inscribed in 2014 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
MALAWI
Region:
Southern Malawi
Ethnic group:
Lhomwe
Sendemule
The Sendemule is a traditional dance in Chitipa in northern Malawi.
It is mainly a funeral dance performed to mourn the death of senior chiefs of the community. It is only danced if the defunct chief gave his consent before his death. During funerals, the Sendemule is only performed by women. The burial ceremony of the chief is very complex and only to be witnessed by a select group of people. He is usually buried sitting. The ceremony also includes the firing of a gun.
Furthermore, the Sendemule is also used to celebrate important events such as the killing of a dangerous animal or a chief’s installation. Today, it is also danced during gatherings, where the dancers usually wear casual outfits.
The music varies depending on the context in which the dance is performed: during celebrations, it is quite slow and mournful, whereas it is upbeat and energetic during celebrations. It is played on three different drums that are perceived as sacred and involves a whistle. However, in contrast to many traditional Malawian dances, this one does not involve any hand clapping.
The Sendemule is a circle dance. In some cases, the dancers use leaves as accessories.
Sendemule
Ethnic group: Lambya / Balambia people
Region: Chitipa (Northern Malawi)
Country: Malawi
Chilimika
The Chilimika is a popular dance in the Nkhata Bay area of northern Malawi. It is primarily danced by young men and women to entertain and show respect to their parents and grandparents. It is a tradition handed down from generation to generation that brings together the community.
The performers are usually dressed in quite modest everyday clothes. An important accessory is a handkerchief, worn by every performer and used as an element of the choreography.
The Chilimika is a quite humorous dance. The dancers move to the drum rhythms in a straight line, waving around their handkerchiefs. The dance puts a lot of emphasis on large hip movements.
The performers also sing traditional songs, which often include call-and-response motives. The music is usually played on a set of multiple drums of varying sizes; all attached to a wooden stick that is used to carry them.
In the last few years, the Chilimika has experienced a surge in popularity and is performed in various contexts, sometimes even in schools.
MALAWI
Etnic group: Tonga
Region: Nkhata Bay (Northern region)
Country: Malawi
Uyeni
Uyeni is a dance practiced by the Ngoni people. It is typically performed to celebrate the installation of a new chief.
The Uyeni is exclusively danced by young women. In some cases, they perform barefoot and with their breasts exposed. In others, they wear matching costumes with beads and images of traditional Ngoni oval-shaped shields.
The women lead the king either to the Bwalo (a sort of arena) or the coronation grounds. It is a line dance, which the new chief sees on his way to the throne. The dance is notable for its large arm movements. The women sometimes use small batons as accessories, holding them with both hands and swinging them from one hip to the other.
The music includes singing from the crowd and the dancers and rattles.
The dance played a role in the coronation of the Malawian Ngoni chief Inkosi ya Makosi Kanjedza Gomani IV in 2008.
MALAWI
Ethnic group: Ngoni
Region: Unknown
Country: Malawi, and potentially others
Note: only very little information about this dance is publicly available. Thus, it is hard for us to confidently pinpoint the geographical location and to say which exact branch of the Ngoni practice this custom.
Chisamba
The term “chisamba” refers to a female initiation ritual of the Chewa people that marks a girl’s arrival into womanhood. The ritual contains a dance that has the same name.
The female initiation ritual is quite complex and begins when a girl begins to menstruate. After living in seclusion and being taught important skills and values of womanhood, a husband is chosen for her. The Chisamba dance marks the end of the initiation process and is danced when the young woman is pregnant.
The dance is performed by the young woman in question as well as the older woman who instructed and accompanied her during the ceremony. The dance is led by the senior instructor, who is oftentimes the wife of the village’s chief. In some cases, they dance topless. The dance is a way to present a young woman who has completed her ceremony to the community. It is an important event, attracting everyone in the village.
The dance involves quick arm and hip movements. Some sources say that it is supposed to teach the young woman the movements done during sexual intercourse.
The women also sing songs, which warn the young girl of potential dangers, such as predatory men who only desire them for their bodies.
The music follows a 12/8 time signature and includes a lot of complex polyrhythms. It is usually played on three drums of varying sizes: the mbitimbiti (high drum), the mtiwiso (middle drum), and the mpanje (solo drum).
The dance is also practiced for entertainment purposes during festivities and during burials of important members of the community. Moreover, the female initiation ritual has been criticized but still holds an important place in the social fabric in some Chewa communities.
MALAWI
Ethnic group: Chewa
Region: Central Region
Country: Malawi
Likhuba
The Likhuba is a traditional healing dance performed by the Sena people. It was traditionally used to cure psychological illnesses of women. Other sources claim that it was also performed during funerals and installations of chiefs.
The dance is danced by both men and women and involves a lot of fast and acrobatic movements. It puts an emphasis on leg movements, including stomping and jumping.
The music is played on up to ten different drums, including a small mbandambanda drum. It also involves hand clapping and singing, which is notable for its call and response motives.
Nowadays, the Likhuba is not used for its supposed healing powers but for entertainment during festivities.
MALAWI
Ethnic group: Sena
Region: Chikwawa and Nsanje district (Southern Malawi region)
Countries: Malawi