Interpretation of music in Zambia: variation 2

Interpretation of music in Zambia: variation, example 2. This article is about the interpretation of a cinsengwe brought by the ing’omba Susa. The singer of the song said it is for a funeral.

Song 156

A cinsengwe brought by the ing’omba Susa from Shaibila around 1940, as sung by Sakaliya Mulwaso in 1981.

Text of Song 156 ∵ It is not Satan that made me

Susa nakabona kanunushi
Nkalya kanunushi kafukule loba Susa, fwe basheme /ne usheme
Ni Lesa mukulu wampangile
Wandekele fibanda fya mu mpanga; Satana tampangilepo

Susa saw a kanunushi
Such a kanunushi that pushes out soil toward Susa, we who are/I who am with ishamo
It is that same great Lesa who made me
Who lets the nature spirits from the mpanga on me; it is not Satan that made me

Lesa is the name of a major spirit, often referred to in literature with God. Also, most christian denominations use it to refer to the christian god.
For another version of this song, accompanied by the kankobele, listen to Music example 72.

Interpretation by exegetes

Yes, I know this song about the kanunushi [Follows Music example 72]. It is an insect of one finger long with a very slim neck. It throws sand at its adversaries and anything passing by.¹See for instance here. When it throws sand at people, it is a bad omen.²Doke (1931: 216) gives this omen for the Lamba region: “A mud-wasp (inunushi) gathering clay and sprinkling it on to one when sitting”. The throwing implies the filling of the grave; so a funeral. Susa complains about having ishamo. ‘Satan did not create me. Why would God (Lesa) who created me allow ishamo’. Another bad omen is a chameleon digging a hole: this also portends a funeral. Many bad omens refer to funerals.
Good omens (ishuko) also exist. Black ants in a row, all with something in their beaks: you are about to receive something. Or a cikuku (insect) that suddenly flies into your breast: you are about to receive something. But be careful, it might be sent by somebody, then you think you are with ishuko, but it is ishamo. Put your foot on it and turn, so it can’t bring the message back. Here is a song about this insect sitting on chief Chibale‘s shirt, after which he became ill and died. [Follows Song 134].
Mika Mwape Chungwa ∵ personal communication, 1986.

You can sing this kanunushi song as a complaint for any bad omen. Here Satana and the nature spirits are one.
BanaNshimbi ∵ personal communication, 1987.

The author likes to add that the period in which the song was first performed was characterised by the emergence of the christian denominations still present in the 1980s. The song contains references to the local cults and the christian faith and may refer to the ineffectiveness of the latter.

Interpretation by the general public

In Survey 1987, participants expressed their views on the message of this song right after hearing it. Most focused on what they considered the main subject of the song, a broad interpretation of the song text (List 26). Further interpretation was discussed on the basis of a specific question about the text of the song (List 27).

List 26: The message (main subject) of Song 156, Survey 1987

One eighth of the people say they do not know what the song is about.  We can not know what interpretation the ones saying for instance that the song is ‘about Lesa’ (1M15) have in mind. When we look at the extent to which the answers represent an interpretation, we see that in some answers one or more key words from the song text are repeated, in other answers one or more key words are replaced by other words and, lastly, in a number of answers an explanation or interpretation is given. 

List 72: Why is it shamo to see a kanunushi? Song 156, Survey 1987

Interpretation of music in Zambia: variation, example 2. More than 30% of those having heard this song say they do not know that, or why, seeing the kanunushi bringing out soil (into your direction) portends grave misfortune. Most other answers explain what a bad omen is. It shows what is ahead, it portends death and/or suffering, it is rare, and it may be connected to witchcraft. 

It is likely that the majority of the people claiming to understand the song think it is about a bad omen. The bad omen may be an event portending ishamo (possibly relating it to the local cults). Or it is about a lack of support from Lesa (possibly attempting to fit it into christian reasoning: the alternative for the local cults). And, a few answers link the disturbance to witchcraft.

Conclusion

In 1987, 70% of the people understood the words of this ing’omba-cinsengwe sung in the 1940s.
They made three basic interpretations.

Proverb 223³Example from the proverb book Amano mambulwa.⁴Photo 175.

Tabasala nkuni, nobuselekete bonse ninkuni

Tawalinga ukukana ico bakupela ngo bupe.
Twaikala mu calo ca malanda ukushingwana no bucushi ubwalekanalekana. Ilyo umo uwa luse akumfwilo luse noku kupa cimo, iwe walinga ukupokelela, tekususha ati kano mwampela cakuti na cakuti. Ne nkuni shine kuteba ishili shonse.

Don’t be selective as to firewood, all wood will do

Receive whatever you are given as a gift. Don’t be choosy, only wanting the bigger things, even the simple ones are good for you.
We are living in a world with all kinds of problems. Now, when one is so kind to give something to you, you as recipient are supposed to receive, not to choose. Even firewood from other trees can do the same.

Continue to the third example in the article series on the variation in song text interpretation.