Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4

Fighting with songs ∵ Songs 27 to 37

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 4. During the 26th song, Kansenkele, who has finished preparing himself, enters the circle. He comes up to us to greet us. I give him two photos that I took of him and of his wife at another occasion.

The 27th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4. After the 26th song has finished, Kansenkele starts his first song.

Text of the 27th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi‘s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mbulileniko banababo
Owe elele ba combela wanji ba Pepa abo baisa nomba

Please take over this song, you chorus
Owe elele my master drummer, Pepa, he has just arrived

Kansenkele’s strategy is to immediately try and get hold of the drummers and then of the chorus. First of all, he needs a good master drummer for Ciwila dancing, instead of for Mwami or Bayambo dancing. His using the same words as in the 22nd song underlines this: there may have been a ‘my master drummer’ here, but now it needs to be my master drummer. Pepa Bulaya is Kansenkele’s favourite master drummer. ‘He has just arrived’ is a formulation to make it easier for the master drummer, Tobi of Makonde, who has been drumming the last 14 songs to give his place to Pepa. The song does not take off very quickly but once it has taken off, it lasts some time.

The 28th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 28th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Kamulisha mwebamaombe /mwe baume / bai ba Bulaya
Owe lele nafuluka mwana wanji ba Kabinda cinkenjele canji

Start playing, you drummers / you men /go, Bulaya
Owe lele I have missed my youngest child, my bringer of happiness

Now Pepa Bulaya has taken over the master drum, Kansenkele praises him: he is as valuable as the youngest child is for its parents. It is a word play: cinkenjele means ‘producer of good sounds’ but in connection with youngest child (kabinda) it means ‘bringer of happiness’.

This song has the same progression as the previous one. It starts slowly but after it has taken off it does rather well.
After the song, Kansenkele and Kamimbya speak to each other briefly about the conditions in the dance circle, especially the number of ‘non-dancing dancers’.

The 29th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 29th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mayo ifi bacelwa bamukafibande ncingo kupompoloka mama
Nemulandu incingo kupompoloka twacelwa kwesu Maloba

Mother, the reason why this wife of spirits came so late is that the bike had a flat tyre, mother
Me, the poor one, the bike had a flat tyre, we came too late at our place, Maloba

Maloba is another name of the spirit of Kansenkele’s deceased mother that is possessing him. Bamukafibanda, literally: spouses of the nature (fierce) spirits, is an honorary nickname, often used to refer to Ciwila and Moba possessed, especially the roaming Moba dancers between 1915 and 1940. The rapture the Moba spirits gave their possessed is regarded as extremely heavy.

Kansenkele explains why he and his wife are late. Because one would expect a praise song for the organisers at this point, the text has a critical undertone: if we had arrived earlier, this ritual would be in better shape. In addition, the use of nemulanda suggests the flat tyre was an omen of the difficulties this Ipupo is facing.

As we will see in the texts to come, Kansenkele uses the words mayo and mama (mother) and bama (my mother) very often. These words are no ‘filling words’. First of all, he is possessed by the spirit of his deceased mother. Secondly, banaNshimbi is his classificatory mother (mother’s sister) and is therefore called mama or bama by him. Her farm therefore is ‘our place’ (kwesu) to him. Here, he directs himself directly to her. After the first time Kansenkele has sung the solo and chorus lines banaNshimbi answers loudly with “We thank you” and the women around her ululate.

Again, it takes a long time for the song to take off but then it lasts a long time. The drummers stop once but the chorus sings on and pulls them back in again. 

The 30th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 30th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Kamimbya.Bona Kamimbya nawo buluya
Ni ngoma ya malilo yalengo kushana
Ni ngoma ya malilo yalengo kushana

Look at Kamimbya, he is mad too
But this mourning session has made him dance
This mourning session has made him dance

This song is a reaction to the 29th song. It refers to another honorary nickname for possessed, in this case bamukabuluya: spouses of madness, which is most often used for Mwami possessed. Buluya is a Lenje word. Mwami possession is considered to come from the Lenje region. This song text by Kamimbya now shows Ipupo features: the music and dancing at this Ipupo have to be good so that it leads the bereaved away from their sorrow. 

The 31st song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 31st song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mayo mwayumfwa ifyo yalile ngoma yakubamwami mayo/lelo
Kabanga bashane fi bashana ba Meli banangobele/ fi bayako ba Meli teti bashane

Mother, do you hear how the drums sound Mwami-like, mother/now today
I doubt if Meli can dance her dance to that, supporters of the fine music /
I doubt if Meli is going to dance at the ritual she went to with the intention to dance

Meli is one of the spirits possessing Shemu Mambwe (Kansenkele). 

Kansenkele, however, thinks the music is much too Mwami-like.
The song is the first completely successful song of the evening and we may conclude that it took Kansenkele four songs to get life into a ritual that was not proceeding well. Many people now bring gifts (kutaila) to Kansenkele.

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4. Someone says the drummers should not be forgotten which is right because they play very well now with Tapsoni Mambwe Mafuta on kace and Pepa Bulaya on iyikulu.

Music example 23

A short passage of good drumming at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s.

The 32nd song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 32nd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mayo balemposha bamukafibanda/ bamukabuluya/ bamukabayambo, mutende ba Pepa mama
Nemulanda mutende ba Pepa mwabombeni

Mother, you are being greeted by the spouses of the nature spirits/ of madness / of the bayambo spirits. Be in peace, Pepa, mama
I, the poor one, be in peace, Pepa, how are you doing?

In this song Kansenkele tries to put Pepa’s mind at rest. Seeing that Chalebaila who came to the ritual in his normal clothes has now dressed himself up for the ritual, he understands the problem the drummers are facing. They earn money by playing at Cibombe organised by Chalebaila and bamukaNdubeni, but they need drumming for Kansenkele for their fame. So, the text means: for whom ever you drum, be in peace.

This song is sung again enthusiastically by the chorus but the drummers do not drum to it. They refuse to agree to its hidden meaning by drumming for it. Since the next song also doesn’t take off, the conclusion made above that Kansenkele took little time to gain control over the ritual was premature. 

The 33rd song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 33rd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Nibani balya abali kwa Masola kantalika calaula mama
Nemulanda kantalika calaula nenka

Who were there at Masola’s? I started the dance, mama
I the poor one, I started the dance alone

And here is Kansenkele’s message for Chalebaila and the other dancers in the circle. At Masola’s, a farm near to that of Kansenkele, he danced alone during the whole ritual. Kantalika calaula could also mean: I ended up dancing alone. The coming of Chalebaila has brought so much confusion among drummers and chorus that Kamimbya at a given moment shouts at them: “It is discussing what you do, not singing”. 

With the persistence of the ing’omba, Kansenkele continues, now criticising the ritual.

The 34th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 34th song of at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Ati nabwena kumwiko, banaChibuye, cino cila ba Shemu mama
Fwebalanda cino cila ba Shemu teti cikabepo/ teti bafwepo/ teti batine

This I saw: a bad omen, banaChibuye, this ritual, Shemu, mama
We, the poor ones, this ritual, Shemu, will not be hot/ they will not help/ they will not show respect

The reference to a bad omen (mwiko) is a classical way of ing’omba to introduce critical or teaching texts, see for instance Song 156 and it is hinted at in the 29th song of this Ipupo. This might be related to a more explicit function of interpreting signs by mediums, in the past.
The song is very successful which shows that many agree with the issue as it is put in the second line. BanaNshimbi gives a gift to Kansenkele.

Chalebaila has entered the circle and now starts his first song.

The 35th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 35th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Chalebaila.Aka kalwele kali munanda miyaya
Aka kalwele kali munanda miyaya

That sick one in the house is in a bad condition
That sick one in the house is in a bad condition

It is a typical Mwami healing song. Where Kamimbya’s songs at this Ipupo contain relatively little Lamba, Lima and Lenje words, Chalebaila’s are a mixture of all these languages.
It is Chalebaila’s first appearance at an Ipupo ever. In general, Mwami mediums stay far from death and the rituals connected to it. His reasons for coming and being brave were many. He often co-operates with bamukaNdubeni and his son Munteta is her mwanang‘anga. As a result, he feels obliged to help with the ritual. And, not so long ago, he moved to another area within Chibale chiefdom and is facing some difficulties connected to that. He has fewer patients than he had at his old place and he has fewer people visit his rituals and, what’s more, they are less well-informed than the audience/chorus at his old place. Thirdly, according to him, it is possible to use Bayambo possession music for anything just like in the Lima region where he is from.

The ‘chorus of fans’ of Munteta takes over the song but not many others do. After the song Chalebaila leaves the circle.

After this, a man tells the crowd not to start favourite songs if these are not started by one of the possessed. At Mwami rituals, the audience/chorus sometimes do this to entice a Mwami medium to bring a favourite song. He also asks the dancers to wait before bringing a new song while another is still busy.

The 36th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 36th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Oh bama banaNshimbi kamubule: apo mwaita ba Shemu mama
Nemulanda apo mwaita ba Shemu bonse balale

Oh mother banaNshimbi, let me tell you: because you invited Shemu, mama
Me, the poor one, because you’ve invited Shemu, all [others] should go to sleep

Kansenkele does not stop to try to heat the ritual on his own terms.
The next day he said, this song was not specifically aimed at Chalebaila. “There was not enough room and too many dancers. Some of them even didn’t wear attire, so you couldn’t see whether they were possessed or not”.
And banaNshimbi said: “The cult members (banamanga) only came to help until Kansenkele would start dancing. Some of them however had a different interpretation of helping. Some of my relatives invited Kansenkele. They didn’t want Mwami dancing, they wanted Ciwila dancing. If Kansenkele wouldn’t have come, Kamimbya would have been capable of heating the ritual. Kamimbya and I regularly ‘carry’ an Ipupo.”

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4. When we compare the start of the first songs by Kansenkele with this one, we hear that he gained ground.

Music example 23

Comparing the starts of the second and the eighth song by Kansenkele.

After this song the drumming is still under discussion. BanaNshimbi now talks with the drummers and with Kamimbya.

The 37th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4.

Text of the 37th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Kamimbya.Shaleni mwangalemo namulaya naya
Shaleni mwangalemo namulaya naya/ twaya aa

Remain for rejoicing, I’m saying bye-bye, I go
Remain for rejoicing, I’m saying bye-bye, I go/ we go

The next day Munteta said: “I was not with my father. It was our [the cult group’s] intention to help banaNshimbi in the ritual and to leave when Kansenkele would be really dancing”. 

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 4. After this goodbye song, everybody leaves the circle except for Kansenkele and a woman who does not dance. 

Continue to the next article in this series: the description and the interpretation of the song texts of this Ipupo.