Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 8
Fighting with songs ∵ Songs 80 to 96
The 80th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 80th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi‘s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.
Ba Mabuku ulwimbo lwa fibanda
Mama icipempele mayo we
Fwebalanda mama icipempele banangobele mwela
Mabuku, [as to] the nature spirits’ song
Mother, like a butterfly, mother
We, the poor ones, mother, like a butterfly, supporters of the fine spirits’ music
As a daughter of Makonde, Mabuku who is still present in the audience/chorus, belongs to the Makonde group. As stated earlier, she skilfully takes over the solo-line for all spirit-possessed individuals who do not have their own helper (kampenga). The image of the butterfly is neither positive nor negative in itself. Therefore, the song is not an open reproach or praise. However, in the overall context of Kansenkele’s reproaches towards the Makonde group, we interpret it as a mild rebuke for not refusing to take over Mwami songs at an Ipupo.
The 81st song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 81st song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Iyo bama Muluba eyo
Mayo malimba mayo
Yoyoyoyo, nemulanda mayo malimba ayo bama naya
No, mother Muluba, eyo
Mother, the music, mother
Yoyoyo, I, the poor one, mother, that music, mother, I go now
In this song, Kansenkele mildly questions the performance of the music in the preceding period of the ritual. Among the previous ten songs, there were those that the audience/chorus acclaimed but sang alone: there was no drumming. All songs lasted only a short time. The phrase ‘I go now’ signifies Kansenkele’s readiness to proceed with a singing-only phase.
A sequence of these songs has now begun. The connoisseurs are eager to hear what the font of new song texts that Kansenkele is will bring forth. They possess the knowledge and skills (mano) to understand what these texts are about without having to repeat them over and over, and the drummers deserve a rest. This phase may refer to the rather short periods in older Ipupo where the ing’omba informed about the state of the involved family, clan, or region.
The 82nd song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 82nd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.We mwaice uko twaile nimupepi ne fibanda
Kubekala ba Samba mayo
Shololilo cawaya ba Pupe nafwa mayo
You young one, where we went, it was near the nature spirits
Where Samba lives, mother
Believe it! Dance cawaya, Pupe, I die, mother
Shemu Mambwe‘s farm is near a thicket of trees (mushitu) possessing great mpanga power and, therefore, many nature spirits (cibanda). Samba is one of them. Pupe is mentioned in relation with Samba here to underline Pupe’s fierceness. If only there were kumfwana between Pupe and Shemu, Pupe would dance through him.
The 83rd song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 83rd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Balibekata bambi balile
Figelo batamba mayo
Shololilo nimfwiti bamulamu ebalowa bantu
Some are known to practice witchcraft
The full-figured girls are admired, mother
Believe it! Someone close to you is a witch who bewitches people
Someone in the audience is, or could well be, involved in witchcraft. For instance, to beget a beautiful woman already married to another, or to prevent another from marrying a beautiful girl. It is also a more general warning against witchcraft practised by those close to you.
The 84th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 84th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Benka/ Eko baba balya benda ne cipingo
Nimfwiti ba mulamu mama
Shololilo nimfwiti ba mulamu balishila bantu
Only those/ Among those who always carry a bible
They are witches, my friend, mother
Believe it! They’re witches, my friend, they kill people
Witchcraft accusations form a very important issue in Chibale. When an accusation is made, solutions may be sought in a small circle, or it may be kept hidden on purpose. However, often the case is brought to a wider circle via a visit to a shing’anga or to the chief. In many cases, the chief will send the accused to a shing’anga to obtain their advice before relegating the case to the local, sometimes district, court. When the accused is a Jehovah’s Witness, he or she may refuse to go to the shing’anga, basing this refusal on the fact that the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the existence of witchcraft, even when the chief asks them to do so. This leads to a situation where people start associating Jehovah’s Witnesses with witchcraft. They suppose that the witches become members to obtain this protection against revelation.
The rude Benka (Only those) in the first line is a reversal of the allegation made by some Christians that witchcraft only occurs among ‘non-Christians’.
The 85th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 85th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Buce buce mwebantu bakapenta
Fyenke fi bamayo/ bamulamu owe
Nemulande fyenke fi bama ekulila bantu
Sing really small now, you people, beautiful women
Surely, women/friends owe
I, the poor one, surely, mother, it is the way to mourn people
The intimate singing in this phase is praised. Good music is linked to mourning.
The chorus members are called bakapenta, painted ladies; here meant as: completely up to it, at their best.
The 86th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 86th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Cipi cipi we mwali/ Mukamposeshe ababa kwa Makonde
Mucincile ba Shemu mama
Wayawaya/ Ne mulanda, muncincile ba Shemu nafwa mama
Those who are closely related to the Makonde group/ Go and greet the Makonde group from me
Be serious, Shemu, mother
Wayawaya [dancing]/ I, the poor one, be serious, Shemu, I die, mother
Shemu Mambwe, through his father’s side, is related to Makonde, the group of families into which young Munteta has married. This song testifies to his grudge against the latter. During the start, he interjects: Mama yoyoyo mama naya mama mama mama mama mwe bena buko mubule namwela: Mama yoyoyo, mama, I go, mama mama mama mama, you family-in-law let me tell you, wife of the spirit(s), meaning: “In this way these Mwami mediums became my in-laws.” The song is directed to the Makonde people, some of whom joined the second circle after Chalebaila had stopped his last song in the first circle. They are referred to here as ‘close to Makonde’. Even if you invite Shemu for an Ipupo, he will not ‘be serious’. He will not come anymore.
The 87th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 87th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we twalilwala myaka bana Chibuye / Buce buce mu nanda eyo
Cipale bamulamu mayo
Shololilo cipale yoyo ba Pepa ndeya/ Woyoyo cipale bamulamu nandebo nkoya
Boy you, I have been sick for years, banaChibuye/ It is too silent in the house eyo
Full of themselves, my friends, mother
Believe it! Full of themselves yoyo, Pepa, I leave/ Woyoyo, full of themselves, my friends, I would leave too
Kansenkele mocks the self-centredness of Mwami mediums and the cult of affliction spirit-possessed individuals. The first line contains two quotations. The first is the spirit-possessed’s catchphrase; they will often refer to their illness or use it as an excuse. The second quotation is from the husband, who says it is much too quiet in the house during the night. The spirit-possessed wife is either incapable of making love due to illness or restrictive rules of life, or she is away dancing somewhere. The word cipale is used for both self-centredness and for refusing to make love. The song text provides a good example of the use of quotations, so typical for Chibale song texts.
The 88th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 88th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Bama banaNshimbi balipinga na banabamanga oye
Nemulandu/fwebalanda ngabanabamanga balola kwisa/ mwalola kwisa?
My mother banaNshimbi has a serious bond with her cult group, oye
I, the poor one/We, the poor ones, now where have these cult group members gone?
A continuation of the message of the previous song. Kansenkele cannot stop denouncing the Mwami-possessed. It must be said, though, that only two of bamukaNdubeni‘s cult members are present in this phase of the Ipupo.
The 89th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 89th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Kabali balume bampame nsapato?
Pa kushana bamulamu owe
Nemulanda lelo pa kushana bamulamu kanselebenda
Would my husband kick me with his shoes?
I would be dancing, my friends, owe
I, the poor one, now today I would be dancing, my friends, while limping
Here we have a humorous reference to the problems, also raised in the 87th song, that many Mwami adepts face with their husbands due to the restrictive rules of life (mushila) they must follow and the many nights spent dancing. A number of women in the audience/chorus begin dancing in the circle during this song.
The 90th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 90th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Wayumfwe fi yalila banababo?
Yatota/yalumba ba Shemu mama
Nemulanda yatota/yalumba ba Shemu banaCiwila
Do you hear how it sounds, chorus?
It praises Shemu, mother
Me, the poor one, it praises Shemu, the wife of Ciwila
This is self-praise, but also the next humorous reference to Mwami mediums. They are called banaMwami, ‘wives of the chief’. The term banaCiwila is never used. The Ciwila-possessed and Kaluwe-possessed are called baCiwila and baKaluwe.
Between the 90th and the 91st song, Kansenkele pleads to the audience/chorus to start singing again in such a way that drumming will be possible: “To you who are present, I am pleading you, now the night turns into dawn, sing for me just for this short while”. All answer: “We will sing for you”. Kansenkele: “No, it is I who will do the singing”. They: “Ooo”. Kansenkele: “Just sing for a while. Because we are only a few now, the singing will sound good (mukoumfwa ubune)”.
The 91st song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 91st song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Aka kaice bapupa kwa Mulilima
Basenda ba Pati mayo/mama
Ati ne mulanda basenda ba Pati, kati twakwenda shani?
The small child they offered in Mulilima
They took away Pati, mother
I, the poor one, they took away Pati; how shall we go on?
Pati Kalulanya was the prominent shopkeeper at Mulilima, the small village on the Great North Road where the road to Chibale begins. He was generally believed to practise witchcraft and was shot in 1987 by a hired gunman to stop his alleged activities. The offering of one or more persons when someone died was done in former days only when chiefs had died1They were called musanshiko.. Here, it is said that a young child was killed to accompany the deceased shopkeeper. The song suggests that witchcraft related to this case continued after Kalulanya’s death and it foretells that the witchcraft associated with him will persist.
With this song, the drumming and singing are back in full swing.
The 92nd song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 92nd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Ayi wo abena ngoma balifyala bwino Maluba
Shakulalingana bama
Nemulanda shakulalingana nebaice bakwe
Ayi wo, the drum people have a good offspring, Maluba
Their music will remain on this high level, mother
I, the poor one, their music will remain on this high level through their children
A young drummer, related to a well-known drummer, drummed during the previous song and is now being praised.
The 93rd song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 93rd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Nebo kamfwa nkambwelele ndo Maloba/naChibuye?
Ningaya mukwikele mayo
Fwebalanda/Nemulanda ningaya/nakuya mukwikele kuli ba Ngosa
If I die, why come back, Maloba/banaChibuye?
I would rather stay there, mother
I/we, the poor one(s), I would rather stay there with Ngosa
A mourning song for Ngosa, the deceased father of Shemu. It shows the importance of kupupa.
The 94th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 94th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we bushiku bwaca bamukabayambo/ bamukafibanda
Mucincile ba Pepa/ Calaula mayo
Nemulanda/ Shololilo mucincile ba Pepa nomba tuleya
Boy, you, night turns into dawn, wives of the bayambo/nature spirits
Liven up, Pepa/ Dance the masamba, mother
I, the poor one/Believe it! Liven up, Pepa, now we go
As explained, the bushiku bwaca at the Ipupo is the period of transition to the state after mourning. It is getting time for those who have mourned to liven up.
The 95th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 95th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we ndemulaisha amashiwi kwa Makonde
Mukebeko ba Lucele mayo
Nemulanda/fwebalanda mukebeko ba Lucele Shemu alelwala
Boy, you, I am asking you to take this message to Makonde
Go and tell Lucele
I/we, the poor one(s), go and tell Lucele Shemu is ill
A song comparable to the 64th song and similar in its intentions to the 80th song. Lucele is Maseya, son of Makonde, brother of Mabuku and cousin (FaBrSo) of Kansenkele. ‘Shemu is ill’ here means: ‘Shemu succeeded in heating the ritual (and winding up as the only dancer)’.
Although the audience/chorus is relatively small in size, the atmosphere is so lively that Mabuku has to widen up the circle by shouting.
The 96th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8.
Text of the 96th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Kasuba katula nomba kuya Maloba/ Boi we tushanemo kalaile nomba kuya
Balwele ba Shemu mama
Nemulanda/fwebalanda balwele ba Shemu banangobele
The sun rises now it is time to go, Maloba / Boy, you, we dance the last dances now it is time to go
Shemu is ill, mother
I/We, the poor one(s), Shemu is ill, supporters of fine music
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 8. The sun is still below the horizon, but it is getting a little light. We have only a few dances left.
Continue to the next article in this series: the description and the interpretation of the song texts of this Ipupo.
Footnotes
- 1They were called musanshiko.