Songs and dances topics
Songs and dances in Zambia: historical basis
The underlying reasons for a particular classification of a song are its purpose and the occasion(s) at which it is sung. Important exceptions are the genre names that do not refer to purpose or occasion by themselves. It is interesting to see whether it is possible to map purpose, occasion and name in one overview. While trying to do this, one stumbles into some salient aspects of Chibale music that will be treated in short.
Songs and dances in Zambia: owner of the song
What appear to be the ‘same’ songs can be classified differently depending on the status of the one starting it. For the repertoire deriving from Chibale or more generally from the Kaonde-Lamba-Lenje-Lala region, a distinction is made between songs brought by mediums, (non-possessed) specialists and laypeople.
The effect of the performance of the three types of performers is different and since effect (purpose) is the most important criterion for song classification, the three situations lead to different classifications.
Songs and dances in Zambia: the root melody
The songs within one root melody have the same length and are similar in the contour of the melody, in the ratio note repetitions : steps : leaps, in the number of syllables used and in rhythmic density. They are not similar in text, apart from a few words, like a name or exhortation, that occurs in every realisation of that root melody.
Songs and dances in Zambia: extension of the repertoire
How can the repertoire be extended? What is a new song and does it exist? How are songs classified that one has never heard before?
Songs and dances in Zambia: mapping the major genres
Two ‘systems’ underlay older Chibale music. In both, music repertoire cycles between the mpanga and the village. Old repertoire is brought by the spirits (mpanga) via possessed mediums and is then icilaila-ed back to the village; the icilaila-ed repertoire will become old repertoire after some time and then will be brought by the spirits etc. It is likely that this cycling happened in both systems though, at present, the cycling in the cimbwasa system is more obvious. From the other hand, the two ‘systems’ are not separated; music from the cinsengwe system is also icilaila-ed by women and can become part of the other system.
Songs and dances in Zambia: the cinsengwe ing’omba
In the first half of the previous century, there have been famous singers/composers, possessed by the spirit of a deceased musician-singer-composer, who led an ensemble that accompanied the songs they started. They provided the classical repertoire for the one-note xylophone ensemble.
Songs and dances in Zambia: spirit possession
Several articles on this site discuss aspects of spirit possession music in Chibale. In this article, you will find links to these articles.