Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 5
Fighting with songs ∵ Songs 38 to 50
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
The 38th song
Text of the 38th song of at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi‘s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.
Mayo bama banaNshimbi kambalimbe: ukusanga baleshana bamayo
Nemulanda ukusanga baleshana, ebene mfwa namuwela
Mother, my mother banaNshimbi, allow me these strong words: to find you dancing, mother
I, the poor one, to find you dancing while you’re the owner of the dead, I wela to you
Song texts can be straightforward or allusive (mumapinda, sha nkama). This one is rudely straightforward. ‘Dancing’ here refers to the healing of the patient by banaNshimbi during the performance of the 10th song. The next day banaNshimbi said: “The Ciwila medium can become rude like this when there is much competition. When these things would be spoken out, it would be insulting. Mediums can cross the borders of shame (nsoni) of normal people”.
During the start of the song, Kansenkele bids the chorus to sing lighter (Muleangufyanyako ulo lwimbo lwa balumbwana). In this case, this means to sing with more high tones from the female singers, because it is a ‘song for the youth’, that is: it has a teaching text.
The 39th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of the 39th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mwe baice ifyo balila bama banaChibuye, iyo lelo banaChibuye
Nemulanda ba Meli bakolwala
You children, how mother banaChibuye has cried, no, today, banaChibuye
I, the poor one, Meli is sick
In this song, the mourning of banaNshimbi, referred to as banaChibuye, is linked to the ritual heat of Kansenkele.
This song takes off quickly and lasts a very long time. Kansenkele seems to have reached his goal of complete control over the heating of the ritual.
The 40th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of the 40th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Bona motoka yafwila kwa Mulilima yendelamo ba Meli mayo
Nemulanda yendelamo ba Meli lelo bakolala
Look, the car broke down at Mulilima, the car that Meli uses, mother
I, the poor one, the car Meli uses, today she won’t move any further
In this song, Kansenkele shares the grief of the spirit-possessed human, Shemu Mambwe, over the loss of his mother with those present. Shemu’s mother died in Mufulira, a town in the Copperbelt. He often dreams of her trying to reach his place from Mufulira by car but having a breakdown at Mulilima, only a few kilometres from Shemu’s farm.
The 41st song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of the 41st song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Nebo nalileko kwimba
Jelashi ba Shemu mama
Mayo jelashi ba Shemu eyo batina
Then I would have to stop singing
Jealousy [about] Shemu, mother
Mother, jealousy [about] Shemu, that is what he fears
The text is meant not only for this ritual but is more general. Kansenkele often had troubles when he performed. In his opinion, these were caused by jealousy because he was invited all over the area. The ‘I’ in the first line is the possessing spirit who is afraid of not being able to sing and dance through Shemu once he is blocked or killed.
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5. Kansenkele has now created the space, that is, enough silence at the beginning of a song he starts, to insert text variations in the start of the song.
Music example 25
Text variations during the starting of the 41st song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s
If there is enough focus among the audience, a medium may vary the text during the period that the song is sung by herself or himself. In this case, Kansenkele’s wife waits before taking over the solo line until the variations have been made. Kansenkele brings four variations before the song reaches the form that is repeated by the helper (solo line) and the chorus.
O jelashi ba mulamu mama
Mayo jelashi ba Shemu banamwela
Jelashi ba Shemu mama
Nemulanda jelashi ba Shemu eyo batina
Owe nomba nalileko kuyalawila
Jelashi ba Shemu mama
Mayo jelashi ba Shemu eyo batina
Nomba nalileka masamba Maloba
Jelashi ba Shemu mama
Mayo jelashi ba Shemu eyo batina
Nomba nalileko kwimba
Jelashi ba Shemu mama
Mayo jelashi ba Shemu eyo batina
Nebo nalileko kwimba
Jelashi …
O jealousy, my brother-in-law, mother
Mother, jealousy [about] Shemu, wives of the spirits
Jealousy [about] Shemu, mama
I, the poor one, jealousy [about] Shemu, that is what he fears
Owe then I would have to stop dancing
Jealousy [about] Shemu, mama
Mother, jealousy [about] Shemu, that is what he fears
Then I would have to take off the masamba, Maloba
Jealousy [about] Shemu, mama
Mother, jealousy [about] Shemu, that is what he fears
Then I would have to stop singing
Jealousy [about] Shemu, mother
Mother, jealousy [about] Shemu, that is what he fears
Then I would have to stop singing
Jealousy …
The 42nd song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5. Chalebaila has entered the circle again and starts a typical Mwami song, which he calls Bayambo.
Text of the 42nd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Chalebaila.O welele ncite buyani ba Maluba, mawe elele
Ba Maluba Sakanya kushana Maluba, mawe elele
Mawe elele ncite buyani ba Maluba, mawe elele
O welele what am I, Maluba, supposed to do, mawe elele
Maluba Sakanya, the way Maluba dances, mawe elele
Mawe elele, what am I, Maluba, supposed to do, mawe elele
Maluba is one of the spirits possessing Chalebaila, while Sakanya is the main spirit of his shing’anga Sakanya.
The song is hardly taken over by the chorus, and there is no drumming.
While Chalebaila is starting, Kansenkele comes up to us again and makes a joke.
The 43rd song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5. Chalebaila brings a new song.
Text of the 43rd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mwe bamusamba mukowa banaChibuye
Kwendelela/kukonkela ba Shemu mama
Nemulanda kwendelela/kukonkela ba Shemu lelo musangwepo
You who deny your own clan, banaChibuye
To visit Shemu [to invite him], mother
I, the poor one, to visit Shemu, now today you will see to what it leads
A text with a double message. On the one hand, people in the audience are reminded that they should not deny their clan and should remain involved. On the other hand, Kansenkele tells banaNshimbi that she invited her clansman Shemu to perform as the ing’omba Kansenkele at her mother’s Ipupo, and, therefore, she has to accept what it involves.
The 44th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of the 44th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Chalebaila.Mangoma twalema kufwaya mumayamba
Chalebaila tetinshanemo lyambwelela
Drums, we are tired of trying to find game in the deep mpanga
Chalebaila, I can’t dance, the ishamo has come back
Chalebaila starts a Bayambo hunting song. As discussed elsewhere, hunting and mourning songs are likely to share a common ancestry. In other areas of the Kaonde-Lamba-Lenje-Lala area, both were performed by the same type of mediums, the Bayambo. In Chibale, they were brought by two types of mediums (Kaluwe and Ciwila), but both kinds of songs were called cinsengwe. This song is a typical hunting cinsengwe for a Cililo ce shamo, a hunting ritual to resolve ishamo.
It is taken over by the chorus, and the drumming and dancing proceed well.
Photo 100 ∵ Chalebaila’s forceful dancing
Music example 26
The 45th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of the 45th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Mwayumfwa ifi yalila banaChibuye/ banababo
Kuno kuntu ba Pepa mama/ mayo
Nemulanda kuno kuntu ba Pepa mwabona shani
Do you hear how the drums are played, banaChibuye/ chorus
Here in this place, Pepa, mother
I, the poor one, here in this place, Pepa, what do you think about it
Kansenkele is still not happy to hear other types of drumming at an Ipupo. He tries to influence Pepa. This song takes off very quickly and lasts long.
Listen to a sample of Kansenkele’s nsangwa playing during this song.
Music example 27
Nsangwa (ankle-rattle) playing by Kansenkele during the 45th song.
The 46th song
Text of Song 46 at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.A kale twabala nenu ba Chisonta
Mumpele tambala mama/mayo
Nemulanda owe lelo mumpele tambala owe
Long ago we started with you, Chisonta
Give me a cock, mother
Me, the poor one, owe today give me a cock, owe
Kansenkele asks us to give bigger gifts. A cock is shared after not having seen each other for a long time, as in our case. The audience/chorus does not appreciate this diversion from the battle between Kansenkele and Chalebaila and does not take it over.
Beer is distributed now.
The 47th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5. After a while, Chalebaila starts another song.
Text of the 47th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Chalebaila.Ba Maluba Nsakanya shangala bwino
Oyeye ba mama balifwile pe shiba lyabwela mawe
Maluba Nsakanya, the music is good
My (grand)mother has died in a pool, that ishamo has come back, mawe
This is a mourning song for an Ipupo or Cililo, linking good music to mourning.
It takes off, though, like with the others songs started by Chalebaila, the drumming for reasons given earlier is more enthusiastic than the singing.
Pepa, who temporarily has handed over the master-drum to Mafuta, comes up to greet us.
The 48th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of the 48th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Chalebaila.Pano icamfumishe ku balume mayo
Kani bukwa kani butambe
I don’t know what made my husband leave me
It could be jealousy, it could be indiscretion
Chalebaila’s virtuoso reaction to the 41st song states: “You, Kansenkele, may be indiscreet about your worries concerning the jealousy directed at you, but there are more people suffering”; or: “You, Kansenkele, do you not evoke this jealousy by your own indiscretion?” Being a spirit-possessed, Kansenkele is also the wife of the possessing spirits: the husband refers to the possessing spirits. This is a quotation of Shemu experiencing the spirits having left him, which would deprive him of the power to bring new songs. The Mwami mediums had a low opinion of the way that mediums who were not members of cult groups followed rules of life (mushila). As banaNshimbi said the next morning: “Kansenkele’s success will only last a few more years because he doesn’t follow many rules of life.”
The 49th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of Song 49 at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Chalebaila.Ba Maluba ba Maluba twababona aba
Owe iyaya twakubone milonga yesu takwalepa wa iye
Maluba, Maluba we have seen them, these people here
Owe iyaya we will see our rivers though they are far wa iye
A retort by Chalebaila to Kansenkele’s complaints about the Mwami influence on this Ipupo. The second line predicts: We will be in our own Mwami ‘culture’ though it is far from here.
During this song, Kansenkele approaches us to explain that in the coming song, he means us with bena myenu. Though calling a black man (Chisonta) and a white man (the author) abena myenu (that is: belonging to the same clan or relatives’ group) may require explanation, Kansenkele never explained any song to us during a ritual. Therefore, his coming to us may have been inspired by the need to show his link with us. A link to us was undeniably regarded as an asset in the possession milieu of the 1980s.
The 50th song
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.
Text of the 50th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Iyo we mwaice mukanambule nandi ba Chisonta
Apo nabalila ukwenda nenu
Owelelo apo nabalila ukwenda na bena myenu
You young one, give me something too, Chisonta
Since it’s long ago that I began moving with you
Since it’s long ago that I began moving with your people
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5. It is a gamble to come with a text with content comparable to a song that failed to take off. However, either because Chalebaila had started three consecutive songs or because of Kansenkele’s brief discussion with us, this song takes off easily. We do not forget to kutaila.
During this song, Chalebaila leaves the circle.
Continue to the next article in this series: the description and the interpretation of the song texts of this Ipupo.
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 5.