Gatherings in Zambia: children’s games

Gatherings in Zambia: children’s games. In many children’s games music is used. Quite some games also involve dancing. Analogous to what happened to the get-togethers of women and of men, children gather less often to indulge in games but the games have certainly not disappeared.

An example of a game with dancing is the lishiki, a game performed by two girls who sing a song and, during the teka, dance competitively while accompanying themselves with body sounds.

The teka of the lishiki sung and danced by two children of the Chikola family, 1986.

Text of Film 4 ∵ To eat okra is suffering

Gelo 1 – Ati: kabike mumbo(yo)
Gelo 2 – Ati: wacepa sana, keteko bambi

Girl 1 – It goes like: come and hit with the elbow
Girl 2 – It goes like: you are too small, go and call others

[Before the teka, the following two verses have been sung (not on film).]
Magais intalukeni
Ingulu shalaisa
Kutobela mulembwe kucula

Guys, go away from me
Or else the possession spirits will come
To eat okra as a relish is suffering

Gatherings in Zambia: children’s games. Okra, mulembwe, grows without cultivation. It is collected mostly by women. The girls imply that the boys approaching them will not be successful farmers which would leave them in misery.