Munteta Chalebaila

Munteta Chalebaila of the Nyendwa (Vagina) clan was born in Kabwe in 1965. In 1976, he moved with his parents to Chibale. In 1979, he went to Luanshya with Mbomba, his father’s mwanang’anga, 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 few weeks.
As the eldest son of a prominent shing’anga, he had often attended Cibombe and Kubuka and he was an accomplished drummer.
During 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 instructed him to attend every possession session in the surrounding area. So, at the Ipupo organised by banaNjenjema on 26 October 1985, he was present (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 were immediately powerful and began working as if they had been with him for years. A month later, at a Cibombe at bamukaNdubeni’s, he danced 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). The spirits called Munteta Munpokwe. Since the bayambo spirit is from the mulundu, Munteta could also dance at Ipupo, and his spirit could create texts for the occasion. In the series of articles Fighting with songs, 13 songs by Kamimbya can be found.

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