Sitifini Nunda

Sitifini Nunda of the Nguni (Honeyguide) clan was born in 1920. His parents were Ciwila-possessed. In 1952, he became seriously ill and fell into a kind of coma. He immediately went to the shing’anga, banaKaliko, who gave him certain medicines after which the spirits forced him to sing and dance. He was not a christian and had attended Ipupo and similar events all his life. He was possessed by the spirits of his deceased father and mother, Nunda Chibale and Chisenga Machingo, whose names often appeared in the texts he brought. They appeared to him wearing masamba, nsangwa, and other paraphernalia of Ciwila mediums. In this way, they taught him the songs and showed him how to dance.

Song 153

A Ciwila song brought by Chisenga Machingo at an Ipupo in 1981.
Chisenga Machingo has just brought a new song. We hear him continue singing the solo line while dancing. This is one of the performative actions to heat the ritual.

Text of Song 153 ∵ Chisenga Machingo will go to Kamena

Changwe Mabuku
Ba Chisenga Machingo bakuya kwa Kamena – Kaluba

Changwe Mabuku
Chisenga Machingo will go to Kamena – Continue singing

Chisenga Machingo was married to Nunda Chibale, who was the son of chief Mutende. She wants to go to Kamena where the chiefs are buried. Here, the ing’omba emphasises his link to the chiefly cult.

Sitifini Nunda was an ing’omba, one of the few Ciwila-possessed during the Fetulo period, a time when christianity was more prevalent and manifestations of the older and possession cults were fewer. His knowledge of Chibale music was surpassed only by that of Mika Mwape Chungwa. After the emergence of Mwami, he, like Kansenkele, continuously educated the drummers on how to beat well.

He continued dancing until the end of the 1980s. He died in 1993 at the hands of some of his grandchildren who believed he was using witchcraft.