Gatherings with music in Zambia: children’s games

Gatherings with music in Zambia: children’s games. Music is used in many children’s games. Some games also involve dancing. Just as with women’s and men’s get-togethers, children nowadays gather less often to play games, but games are still present.

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 were 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 with music 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.