Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context 7

Fighting with songs ∵ Songs 65 to 79

The 65th and 66th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7. Now two rather curious songs follow, brought immediately after each other by Kansenkele. They are sung only once and both end with grievous singing – referring to musowa wa mfwa – for which reason they are not taken over. Both songs are about personal grievances of Kansenkele. 

Text of the 65th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi‘s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele in the new dance circle.Owe ele bama cawaya ba Pupe mayo
Iyo mama lwendelela ba Shemu nafwa mayo namwela
Mama yoyoyo mama mama

Owe ele mother, about this Pupe, mother
No, mother, all this travelling around, Shemu, I die, mother, wife of the spirits
Mama yoyoyo mama mama

The first song is about a spirit, Pupe, that troubles him. Kansenkele will also mention Pupe in the 71st, 82nd and 100th songs. 

Text of the 66th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele in the new dance circle.Ifi yalilile ya pa Masola bamama yoyo
Mayo we yoyo mama malimba ba yoyo
Sole mama mama

How [well] it sounded at [the Ipupo in] Masola, mother yoyo
Mother, we, yoyo mother, the music ba yoyo
Sorry mama mama

The second of these two songs is about the difficult course of this Ipupo compared with others, for instance that at Masola’s, which was a ‘home ritual’, also mentioned in the 33rd song.
The end of the second line (ba yoyo) is the only instance in Kansenkele’s 75 songs on this night of a text not fitting: ba is not a ‘song word’ nor an accepted short-cut for bama, bamama or bamayo. Presumably it is done on purpose to imitate musowa wa mfwa.

The 67th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7. Immediately after these two, a third song follows which means Kansenkele brings three new song texts within only 40 seconds.

Music example 31

Kansenkele brings three songs (the 65th, 66th and 67th) in a very short time.

Text of the 67th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele in the new dance circle.Mayo, kutuntuka ngoli banaChibuye kuno kuntu ba Pepa mawe
Fwe balanda kuno kuntu ba Pepa tetimpiteko

Mother, to climb the top of Ngoli hill, banaChibuye, to this very place, Pepa, mawe
We the poor ones, to this very place, Pepa, I will not return

This song is a sequel to the previous one. From Shemu’s place banaNshimbi’s farm lies just after the top of the Ngoli hill, a distance of some 25 kilometres. 

The 68th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7. In the other circle, there has been no dancing after the 63rd song. Now Chalebaila starts what will be his last song. The song is a support for the cult group (children) of banaNshimbi.
Despite his popularity and success as a shing’anga and at Cibombe organised by him, he has not succeeded in getting Mwami/Bayambo music accepted for use at Ipupo.

Text of the 68th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Bayambo song brought by Chalebaila in the old dance circle.Ba Maluba, mwabalila bana, Maluba
Abana mwabalila bana bana

Maluba, you were crying about the children, Maluba
Children, you were crying about the children, children

Because we stay in the new dance circle, banaMunteta, the wife of Chalebaila, comes up to us during this song and says: “Why should there be two sets of drums? Indeed, this is an Ipupo and not a Cibombe, but it is for all, not only for Kansenkele who does not want Chalebaila in the circle”. We say we have an assistant in the other circle writing down the songs that will be brought there but that, having only one recording machine, at this Ipupo we follow the invited ing’omba.

The 69th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7. Kansenkele has waited some time to bring a new song. Just after the drumming in the other circle has stopped, he starts this song. It is now a quarter past three in the morning and this song is the finale of the confrontation that has been going on at this Ipupo.

Music example 32

The finale of the confrontation between Kansenkele and Chalebaila. The 69th song is received with approval.

Text of the 69th song of at the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele in the new dance circle.Fwebo Cililo twalonda
Owelele Cibombe bakonkele kwa naChibuye capwa nomba mama
Fwebo kulila twalonda
Fwe calaula Cibombe bakonkele kwa naChibuye capwa nomba mama

We came here for a mourning ritual
Owelele the healing ritual they were making out of it at banaNshimbi’s has come to an end now, mama
We came here to mourn
We the possession dancers, the Cibombe they were making out of it at banaNshimbi’s has come to an end now, mama

The remaining audience/chorus is that of the second dance circle while some of the people who have been in the first dance circle will join them in the period to come.
It is normal at an Ipupo that a number of involved people remain for the last part of the night until dawn. This ‘bushiku bwaca (night-turns-into-dawn) group’ here consists of some 35 people among whom is banaNshimbi who has been with the second dance circle from the beginning.

The 70th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 70th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.We mwanice bushiku bwaca nomba banaChibuye/ kuya Maloba
Mayo ngabaseluka mayo
Fwebalanda mayo ngabaseluka benangobele/bama

You, young one, the night turns into dawn, banaChibuye/ we’re to leave, Maloba
Mother, if they would only do kuseluka, mother
We the poor ones, if they would only do kuseluka, people of the fine music/ mother

In this song, Kansenkele first inaugurates the audience/chorus remaining as the ‘bushiku bwaca group’ and secondly, in an ironical manner, praises the Mwami mediums as long as they only have the spirit come over them (kuseluka) which means as long as they lie entranced on a mat under a white blanket. A wider meaning is intended: as long as they heal and do not sing and dance in public.

The 71st song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 71st song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila/Moba song brought by Kansenkele.Bama banaNshimbi kamubule
Mukabebe ba Pupe mayo
Ne mulanda mukabebe ba Pupe bangashila bantu

Mother, banaNshimbi, let me inform you
Go and tell Pupe, mother
I, the poor one, go and tell Pupe to stop the killing of people

In this song Kansenkele asks banaNshimbi to ask Ndubeni (her possessing spirit) to persuade Pupe to reveal witches, and so stop the killing of people.
Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7. “As Ciwila don’t deal with witchcraft”, banaNshimbi said the next morning, “this song must be Moba. Pupe is a deceased relative of Shemu [Kansenkele]”. This Pupe also figures in the 65th, 82nd and 100th songs. The start of this song is sung in a soft, begging way. It wins acclaim with the audience/chorus, who now all are connoisseurs.

Music example 33

Begging for help at the beginning of the 71st song. The audience/chorus supports the supplication.

The 72nd song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 72nd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we tukengile mu nanda ya fibanda
Tubone ifyo babuka mama
Nemulanda tubone ifyo babuka banaNgwele

Boy, you, let’s enter the house of spirits
So we see how they do Kubuka, mother
I, the poor one, so we see how they do Kubuka, the wives of Ngwele

During the singing Kansenkele dances ciwilewile into the large kitchen that stands very close to the new dance circle. BamukaNdubeni did kuseluka and kubuka in her own house but the kitchen resembles the buildings used by some shing’anga, like for instance Chalebaila.
Notwithstanding that he asked for help in the previous song, Kansenkele teases the Mwami mediums again, including bamukaNdubeni. Ngwele is a general name in Zambia for the bad character in the plot of a movie or in an area. This insult is not as heavy as it seems because it is likely that Kansenkele quotes Mwami haters here.

The 73rd song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 73rd song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we fumenimo mu ng’anda ya fibanda
Umo balala ba Meli mayo
Owe lelo umo balala ba Meli banaNgwele

Boy, you, let’s leave the house of spirits
Where Meli lies, mother
Owe, now today where Meli lies, wives of Ngwele

The house of spirits is the place where the spirits can come very close to or enter humans. Also Meli the spirit possessing Shemu ‘lies’ (can come very close) there.

With this song Kansenkele and the group that followed him leave the kitchen again and form a dance circle at the same place as the second dance circle.

The 74th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 74th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we ndoyu mwana nimwana bani mayo
Tumwinike ba Shemu mama
Nemulanda tumwinike ba Shemu ba mwenda nalyo

Boy, you, who is this child and whose child is it
Let’s name him Shemu, mother
Me, the poor one, let’s name him Shemu, the one who goes with ishuko

The ‘Boi we’ here is the author. Shemu Mambwe is an only child and I am the only white man in Chibale. We have something in common.
Seemingly a filling word, Boi, we in Kansenkele’s song texts denotes that it is meant for a particular person present. In the previous two songs in which it was used, it was Pepa, the master drummer. This low term of address is a reference to the distance created/existing in former days by Ciwila, and in the 1980s still by Mwami, mediums to normal humans. It is a reference to their mastery of text interpretation in comparison with which the others are young ones.

The 75th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 75th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Kamubuleko bamukabuluya/ bamukafiwaya/ banababo Maloba
Nemwine wa Cililo mama
Nemulande nemwine wa Cililo nacomba lelo/mama

Let me inform you, wives of madness/ lovers of Cililo music/ chorus, Maloba
I, the owner of this Cililo, mother
I, the poor one, the owner of the Cililo, I’m stuck here today/mother

Another victory song, ironic, almost sardonic. In the three variations of the first line Kansenkele directs himself to all those who have been and are still present at this Ipupo: Mwami music lovers, mourning music lovers and lovers of both. I am the owner of the Cililo: I was invited to heat this ritual. I am stuck here: I am left without companions, I now have to finish this work on my own. Again a negative word is used to express something positive. 

Music example 34

A song (the 75th) sung four times immediately followed by another (the 76th).

The 76th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 76th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Bakotuseka ukonda banababo/mama eyo/ bakapenta
Ingoma yatuletelela mayo/ bama
Nemulanda ingoma yatuletelela fwebenda fwenka

They laugh at us because we are thin, chorus/ mother eyo/ beautiful ones
All these sessions have caused this on us
Me, the poor one, all these sessions have caused this on us, who move alone

A self-praising song that continues on the subject of the last line of the previous song. In the guise of a complaint Kansenkele formulates what he is after: to dance alone at all sessions he is invited to.

The 77th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 77th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Twamutotela mayo/mama ba Chisonta
Ukupembako ba Shemu mayo
Nemulanda ukupembako ba Shemu banangobele/ mwana Ciwila

We thank you, mother, Chisonta
For guarding Shemu, mother
Me, the poor one, for guarding Shemu, supporters of the fine music/ Ciwila child

A praise song for Basil Chisonta for staying close to Kansenkele, more especially for moving with him to the new circle.

The 78th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 78th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Iyo we mwaice mukamposesheko bakumangalande
Uko bekala ba Shemu mayo
Nemulanda uko bekala ba Shemu kwali ngobele

No, you young one, greet those in England for me
Where Shemu lives, mother
I, the poor one, where Shemu lives there is fine music

Dear readers, I greet you on behalf of Kansenkele. This song with its splendid start does not need much commentary as it shows itself that where Shemu lived there is fine music. We thank moba.

Music example 35

The beautiful start of the 78th song is a clear sign that there is fine music where Shemu lives.

The 79th song

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.

Text of the 79th song of the Ipupo at banaNshimbi’s, a Ciwila song brought by Kansenkele.Boi we mutota nsha enda nakafunda
Uko twaile kwa Chibale mama
Nemulanda uko twaile kwa Chibale twatota Moba

Boy, you, “Delicious duiker!” goes with something to proof
Where we went in Chibale, mother
I, the poor one, where we went in Chibale we thank Moba

Proverb 126

Mutota nsha enda nakafunda
“Delicious duiker” goes with something to prove

When you have been eating duiker meat somewhere and you visit another place, you can not only say how delicious the duiker was at the place where you ate. You should take a little bit of it to prove it. Experiencing is believing.¹For the Lamba region, Doke (1927: proverb 773) renders it as follows.
Mutota-nshe a lenda ne kafunda.
The one who brings news about locusts, brings a bundle of them with him.
Do not make an assertion unless you can substantiate it with a token.

Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7. A complex song text. Mutota nsha enda nakafunda is a proverb (Proverb 126).
The text is a continuation of the message of the previous song. Whatever I take along to England to prove that Chibale music is fine music, we should not forget to thank Moba. The reference to Moba may refer to the fierceness of Kansenkele’s possession, the roaming that the text refers to and/or it is related to opportunities he seeks or is in the process of obtaining –considering the Pupe songs and songs about witchcraft– to be able to sing about (to reveal) witchcraft threats and cases.

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 7. Interpretation of music in Zambia: texts in context, part 7.