Songs and dances in Zambia: mashabe
Songs and dances in Zambia: mashabe. Mashabe possession was a highly valued type of healing, problem solving possession that disappeared in the first half of the 20th century.
Little is known anymore about Mashabe possession, songs and dances.
Song 102
An old Mashabe song as remembered by Mika Mwape Chungwa, 1986.
Text of Song 102 ∵ Me, the Nsenga
Tanje twimbemo cifuto cimo, ne munsenga
Tanje twimbe lwa ku ba Maili, ne munsenga
Let’s first sing in this one musango, me, the Nsenga
Let’s first sing like Maili does, me, the Nsenga
Like the references to the Lenje region and culture in many Mwami songs, this song refers to the Nsenga region and culture, the region from which Mashabe came to Chibale. It seems to be a song announcing the possessing spirit, much like the Mwami song in the story about Chisenga becoming a spirit-possessed. In general, cult of affliction members are more likely to sing this type of song than shing’anga or specialists in a local, central cult.
Maili may refer to the man from the ruling Nyendwa clan who went to the Nsenga and Chikunda regions, see Stefaniszyn (1974: v).
Music example 48
Oral notation of mashabe drum and nsangwa patterns as remembered by Mika Mwape Chungwa, 1986.
First drum: nyinankonshi cilupaula
Second drum: tibili tibili tibili
Third drum: mbilindeng mbili – mbilindeng mbili – mbilindeng mbili
First drum: the mother hartebeest goes staggering
Second drum: vocalisation of drum sound
Third drum: vocalisation of drum sound
After the song follows a short impression of the nsangwa sounds of Mashabe.