Musical instruments in Zambia: small bells

Musical instruments in Zambia: small bells. The ndibu, also called lubendo, are small bells with clappers, mostly used in pairs.¹Oldest mention for the Lala region in Madan (1913: 109). Dancers wear them hanging over and among the bamboo ropes of their masamba. They are not played separately.
People say the bells are of Chikunda origin. The first trade between the Chikunda, working for the Portuguese, and chiefs of the Nyendwa clan, presumably in the first half of the 19th century, went as follows.

The people left ivory at a certain spot along the river and then left the place, returning after some days. In exchange, they found cloth, ndibu, and similar items. They believed these were brought by creatures from the rivers. Later, the Chikunda came to the Lala region, thinking there must be more wealth there than just that ivory.
Mika Mwape Chungwa ∵ personal communication, 1986.

Song 126

A twin ceremony song from the Congo part of the Lala region mentioning the ndibu.²Lambo (1946: 253, 254. French original translated by Jan IJzermans. No recording.

Text of Song 126 ∵ The bell and the clapper

Cipuli ca shapamba cilimukanwa nga mu ndibu
Cinyo ca napamba cilimukanwa nga mu ndibu

The rod of the father resembles the clapper of a bell
The vagina of the mother resembles the bell

This implies that the behaviour of the children resembles that of the parents.

Music example 60

The ndibu played together with masamba and nsangwa.

Small bells and attentiveness

Musical instruments in Zambia: small bells. People also put the ndibu around the necks of hunting dogs. These dogs were sent into a big thicket of trees (mushitu) where nobody dared to enter. They chased out animals, which were then killed. Compare this with the text of Song 127.
This is a powerful image that is often used when connecting cleverness to the ability to listen. See, for instance, Proverb 77 below and Proverb 80.

Proverb 77³Example from the proverb book Amano mambulwa.

Uuli ukufwa, tomfwapo
The one who is going to die, does not hear

Be attentive, otherwise you will only have yourself to blame.
If an animal does not start running as soon as it hears the hunting dogs’ bells, it will be killed.
If you are not that experienced in life, take warnings from people with experience seriously or you may end up in a bad situation. These people are warning you based on their past experiences.

Song 127

A story song mentioning the ndibu, sung by Mika Mwape Chungwa, 1986.

Text of Song 127 ∵ The hunting dog and the ndibu

Elyo nomba cilye citi pakufwaya ukuti ciwe
Nomba elo aebele ati ee
Ati aka kantu kakonjipaya
Nomba elo atampile ukwimba naye ali kwiulu ati

Mwe mbwa shanji
Kamubutuka kamwisa na malibu
Mwaisabanga
We cibwa cikulu cifwite masangalilo

Now, when the tree was about to fall down
That is when he said: “Ee!
This thing is going to kill me.”
Now he started singing while on top of the tree:

You, my dogs,
Start running and come with the ndibu
How-many-are-you
You big dog wearing ferocious ornaments

This song is part of a story called Mwaisabanga, meaning: ‘How-many-are-you’.

Song 128

A Cisungu song mentioning the ndibu, sung by Mika Mwape Chungwa in 1986.

Text of Song 128 ∵ The husband and the ndibu

Po cipopolwa
Umukashi tetaba mu ndibu
Umukashi witaba mwinepo

Po, empty shell
The wife does not [even] react to the ndibu
The wife does react to the husband

A Cisungu song that teaches the initiate how to respond in her role as a wife when called. It teaches men not to treat their wives as animals.
Cipopo: an ignorant person, an empty shell.⁴Compare Doke (1927: proverb 914) for the Lamba region:
Ni kapopopo, akatele ka pa kalimba ∵ He is a little tap-tap-tap, a little calabash on a kalimba.
Meaning: he is insignificant. The term kapopopo refers to the tapping of the woodpecker (mubangwapopo).