Munteta Chalebaila

Munteta Chalebaila of the Nyendwa (Vagina) clan was born in 1965 in Kabwe. In 1976 he came with his parents to Chibale. In 1979 he went to Luanshya with Mbomba, the mwanang’anga of his father and worked as his helper (cipyaila) for three years. Some years later, in 1985, he stayed there again, for four months. His father Chalebaila visited him and Mbomba occasionally, sometimes staying for a period of some weeks.
As the eldest son of a big shing’anga, he had attended Cibombe and Kubuka often and he was an accomplished drummer.
In the course of 1985, he dreamt of people in white dancing. He did not realise they were a sign but at the Ipupo lya fikankomba he was struck down while drumming (for Kansenkele). They took him somewhere but his spirit told him to go to bamukaNdubeni. There his spirit told him to go to every possession session in the surrounding. So at the Ipupo organised by banaNjenjema on 26 October 1985 he was there (in normal clothes) and was again struck down. This was the first time the spirit danced through him.

His case was exceptional because his spirits immediately were powerful and started working as if they were already years in him. A month later, at a Cibombe at bamukaNdubeni’s, he danced from the beginning in his attire for the first time.

He was possessed by two spirits. Kamimbya was a Mwami (high voice) and Mushili, a Muyambo (low voice). Munteta was called Munpokwe by the spirits. Since the bayambo spirit is from the mulundu, Munteta could also dance at Ipupo and his spirit could make texts for the occasion. In the series of articles Fighting with songs 13 song of Kamimbya can be found.

In a rather short period Munteta established a practice as a shing’anga in Chibale and was able to work there up to 2005. In Survey 2004, he ranked among the few having much knowledge of Chibale music. In 2005, he left Chibale, together with his brother who also was a shing’anga, to work as healers in Mpongwe area.