Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 9
Fighting with songs ∵ Songs 97 to 113
The 97th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 97th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi‘s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.
Boi we tushanemo kalaile nomba kuya
Tushindike ba Meli mama
Nemulanda/fwebalanda tushindike ba Meli nomba baleya
Boy, you, we dance the last dances; now it is time to go
We respectfully escort Meli, mother
I/We, the poor one(s), we respectfully escort Meli because she is leaving now
Meli, one of the spirits possessing Shemu Mambwe, has filled this Ipupo with songs and dancing. Since she is now going to stop, we respectfully accompany her by stopping too.
The 98th song
Text of the 98th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Ati nokwenda kwa muno banaChibuye
Nebo bateyo kulu mama
Nemulanda nebo bateyo kulu tetinshane
Because of going to many Ipupo, banaChibuye
They have set up a trap for my leg, mama
I, the poor one, they have set up a trap for my leg so that I cannot dance
All mediums live in constant fear of (witchcraft) actions that will impede the work of the best, so that others may become famous.
The 99th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 99th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.We mwaice cibanda mutetaule banaChibuye
Ecashila bantu bama
Nemulanda/fwebalanda ecashila bantu banangobele/ cinangobele
You young one, the nature spirit you have cut in pieces, banaChibuye
It is the one that has finished people
I/We, the poor one(s), it has finished people who were supporters of fine music
In this song Kansenkele claims that one of his possessing spirits has found a witch and solved the problem.
The 100th song
Text of the 100th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we kabambula munanda banaChibuye
Benka aba ba Pupe mama
Nemulanda/Fwebulanda benka aba ba Pupe ebalenga
Boy, you, he took me out of the house
It was Pupe, no one else, mama
I/We, the poor one(s), it was Pupe, no one else, who caused this
It is unlikely that Kansenkele addresses banaNshimbi as Boi we, even when in the state of being possessed. He is likely addressing one of his relatives who did not believe his story. However, the message is directed to banaNshimbi, informing her that the spirit Pupe took him to the mpanga while he was sleeping. This may precede his possession by Pupe, a process fraught with risks, for which he seems to seek the help of bamukaNdubeni.
The 101st song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 101st song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.E yumanishimu twalipanga bwino
Twali na ba bwana lelo
Bama wesu nemulanda tucoine ba bwana lelo tukopanga
It is humanism; we have applied it well
We were with the white man today
Our mother, I, the poor one, today the white man and we apply humanism together
This is a merry song: a bit of joking, a bit of irony, a bit of kindness, and a bit of the sentiment that I am the only one still giving him presents (kutaila) because the others have already given everything they had with them.
The 102nd song
Text of the 102nd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Kanshi ba Labani kanshi balitaba mu nanda ya Cililo mayo
Fwebalanda mu nanda ya Cililo mwashila bani
So it is true that Labani is not present here in the house of the Cililo, mother
We, the poor ones, in the house of the Cililo, do you leave these things to the others?
This is a typical mourning ritual accusation. If a close relative, like Labani, is not present, this is not only interpreted as neglect, leaving all work to the other relatives and ritual friends (mwali), but also, especially at Cililo, as a sign of possible involvement in the death, or as a way of disturbing the ritual for reasons not yet known.
The 103rd song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 103rd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Bakane ngoma lelo kambabule ati
Munanda mwa Pepa mayo
Nemulanda munanda mwa Pepa emo cili cileya
They have frustrated the ritual today, I tell you that
In the house of Pepa, mother
I, the poor one, in the house of Pepa, there will be discord
The developments at the Ipupo caused tensions with the drummers, especially Pepa. After this Ipupo, he may no longer be invited by Chalebaila to drum at Cibombe, resulting in less income for Pepa’s family.
The 104th song
Text of the 104th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Tamubwene banaChibuye ifi mwacita/ Boi we kuwilwa takuweme banaChibuye/ banababo
Ba Shemu lelo
Nemulanda ifyo bacita ba Shemu bamwenda nalyo
Didn’t you see what they did, banaChibuye? / Boy, you, it is not good to be spirit-possessed, banaChibuye/chorus
Shemu now today
Me, the poor one, what they did to have Shemu go with ishamo
A final complaint about the difficult first part of the ritual, also triumphant because the difficulties have been overcome.
The 105th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 105th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Efi nshanina ne fibanda Maluba / Efi nyendela no buluya
Ngoma yamfuna molu mama
Nemulanda ingoma yamfuna molu ya ba Ngosa
That’s why I dance with nature spirits, Maluba/ That’s why I go with madness
The session has broken the legs, mother
Me, the poor one, the session has broken the legs of Ngosa
There must be fierce possession and genius bordering on madness to be able to bring new song texts without interruption, many of which refer to the actual situation, to start them the way only Kansenkele can do, and then dance to each of these songs for 5 to 15 minutes.
The last line contains a curious play on relations. Shemu is possessed by the spirit of his deceased mother, banaNgosa, and in possession terminology this makes him the spouse of his mother. The real spouse of his mother was Ngosa, Shemu’s father. In that way, Ngosa is used here to refer to Shemu.
The 106th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 106th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Kamwimbeni bamune wesu
Ne calaula sebeni koloko kukomboka banaNgosa
Continue singing for me, my friends
I, who dance swirling the masamba, at seven banaNgosa will have to stop
Photo 104 ∵ Spellbound
Dawn is breaking, but Kansenkele still has everybody spellbound. BanaNshimbi looks on attentively.
The audience/chorus does not think of stopping. We are all under Kansenkele’s spell, and there can be no stopping. Kansenkele offers us another hour.
The 107th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 107th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mumpeleko tunini ba Luyande
Tupeleko ba Pepa mama
Nemulanda/fwebalanda tupeleko ba Pepa bacesha ukulila
Give me a little, Luyande
So we can give to Pepa, mother
I/We, the poor one(s), so we can give Pepa [beer] for completing the whole mourning
If we are to go on, we have to be able to continue, so Pepa and the other drummers need beer. Luyande is the ritual friend (mwali) who is in charge of the beer.
The 108th song
Text of the 108th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mayo we mutekepo namenshi banaChibuye
Bakasambe ba Meli mama
Fwebalanda bakasambe ba Meli kutali baba
Mother, you, put some water on the fire, banaChibuye
So that Meli can wash, mother
We, the poor ones, so that Meli can wash, who lives very far from here
Text of the 109th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Twakushala tulokulasa Maluba
Ilyo bakuya ba Pepa mama
Fwebalanda ilyo bakuya ba Pepa munshe nenka
We shall keep on thinking about you, Maluba
When Pepa will not be there anymore, mother
We, the poor ones, when Pepa will not be there anymore, he leaves me in solitude
A great praise for Pepa, implicitly expressing the hope that he will continue drumming for Kansenkele in the future, despite what has happened tonight.
The 110th song
Text of the 110th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we/mwaice kabandilila umwana kwa Muchinka
Lwendelela ba Shemu mayo
Fwebalanda ulwendelela ba Shemu nafwa mama/ twapenga mayo
You, young one, they forced me to recognise a child in Muchinka
Because of Shemu’s travelling [as an invited ing’omba], mother
We, the poor ones, because of Shemu’s travelling, I die/suffer, mother
According to Shemu, one of the ways people try to impede his work is by accusing him of fatherhood of a child in an area he has visited.
The 111th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Text of the 111th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.We mwaice ba Luyande nibani bamufyala
Niba Shemu kwa Chibale mama
Fwebalanda niba Shemu kwa Chibale oyo Ciwila
You, young one, Luyande, who brought you into this world?
It is Shemu who is in Chibale, mother
We, the poor ones, it is Shemu in Chibale, that exceptional Ciwila
Luyande, see the 107th song, has been sparing in giving beer to the drummers. He is reminded of the fact that he cannot refuse a request from an invited ing’omba.
The 112th song
Text of the 112th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we tukengile munanda ya fibanda
Tukomboke ba Pepa eyo
Fwebalanda tukomboke ba Pepa nomba tuleya
Boy, you, we enter the house of the nature spirits
To change clothes, Pepa, eyo
We, the poor ones, to change clothes, Pepa, now we’re going
During this song, Kansenkele and the drummers enter the house (kitchen) that they entered earlier during Songs 72 and 73. Now, it is to convince the audience/chorus that it is really over.
Photo 105 ∵ Tired but still in good shape
Kansenkele singing the last song at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, 1987.
After a pause of some minutes, Kansenkele brings a final song. He is tired but still in good shape.
The 113th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.
Music example 36
The beginning of the final song at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s.
Text of the 113th and last song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mama/ boi we ne nganalwala ndamwita Maloba/ Chibuye
Katuleya ba Pepa mayo
Nemulanda, katuleya ba Pepa kutali twaba
Mama/ boy, you, should I continue to be sick, I will call upon Maloba/ Chibuye
Let’s go, Pepa, mother
I, the poor one, let’s go, Pepa, it is far where we live
The song underlines Kansenkele’s power. Whenever he is needed to make the ritual hot, his spirits will be there to help him.
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9. The singing, drumming, and dancing end a little before half past six in the morning. People go home or sit by one of the fires to discuss things.
Continue to the conclusion of this series of articles. Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9. Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9. Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9. Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 9.