Songs and dances in Zambia: classification by specialists

Songs and dances in Zambia: classification by specialists. In this article we have gathered some quotations of the specialists who contributed to the composition of the overview of older song genres and their purposes. And to: the relations between the major older song genres (Figure H).
They bring out the salient features of Chibale song classification covered in this miniseries of articles.
All persons quoted were competent. Classification glitches based on lack of knowledge or interest are not presented here.

Statements by specialists on cinsengwe and related songs and dances

Songs and dances in Zambia: classification by specialists.

The cinsengwe is not a dance but a generic term for the ilimbalakata, Ciwila, Moba and Kaluwe dances.

In former days only men were allowed to dance the cinsengwe. From the 1940s onwards, women were allowed to join in, to sweeten and make the dancing live.
Sitifini Nunda ∵ personal communication at two occasions, 1981.

Her dance is not the ilimbalakata since she is a Kaluwe medium, so it is kaluwe dancing. This dance can also be performed by ordinary hunters, but they have only a limited number of songs. Mediums will bring new songs. The non-possessed hunters’ dance is indeed the ilimbalakata. They can bring a kaluwe song they learned, as an ilimbalakata.
BanaNshimbi ∵ personal communication, 1987.

At Cibombe the Kaluwe mediums bring and dance cinsengwe, ilimbalakata and kaluwe.

The ilimbalakata is a set of different, but related, songs where the dancing is more important. First, all who want, dance strongly. Then one man starts imitating hunting scenes, and the rest sit down until he is ready. These men are Kaluwe mediums or hunters. Their dancing is instructive (kufunda): how to hunt different animals. For instance, how a buffalo should be shot and the hunter after that should run in the opposite direction. Cisungu dancing is also instructive. With Mwami and Ciwila the dancing itself is not instructive. But the song texts, the occasion and the behaviour of the mediums are.

The dancing that some did with the cinsengwe of the famous ing’omba was freely just dancing for everyone who liked, always inside. It could be done better than others: lifting the legs and shaking the body, dancing softly (kushana panono). But the text was more important than the dancing. […]
Mika Mwape Chungwa ∵ personal communication at three occasions, 1981 and 1986.

Statements by specialists on cimbwasa and related songs and dances

Songs and dances in Zambia: classification by specialists.

Kaonge is the dancing of the Mwami medium and also falls under cimbwasa. The instructress of the girl initiate (nacimbusa) does it cilaila to show what dancing is all about.

[About a certain song] It is a Cisungu cimbwasa and can be sung at Cibombe or Ilimbalakata.
‘Kankonko kwa Lesa – Balokutwa akabale’ is an old Mwami song. During Cisungu it was sung as a cimbwasa.

The relation between the cimbwasa and possession songs is that with cimbwasa any of those dancing could start the song while with possession songs only the possessed could start the songs.

Though the fwandafwanda [a social dance song] was brought by the medium Mubanga, it is not a possession dance. He was taken into the mpanga by nature spirits (cibanda) for three weeks [kuwilwa fya kubuka] and came back to instruct the people: the dance movements of the [group] dance, the drum patterns and the singing. The same holds for Kabolemo from Koni, who around 1937 was abducted for a month and came back with the cinsengwe for drums. It had two lines of dancers: male and female. One man can dance with one to three women who shake their breasts while the man holds them from the back. After his return Kabolemo was a small Ciwila possessed (muCiwila panono): he went round to instruct the new dance, drumming and singing style, so [he was] not a dancer but a teacher making everything alive.
Mika Mwape Chungwa ∵ personal communication at four occasions, 1981 and 1986.

Statements by specialists on the relationship between cinsengwe and cimbwasa

Songs and dances in Zambia: classification by specialists.

Cimbwasa and cinsengwe are basic dances done on many occasions. They are very important, they are kupupa themselves. Because they are the kupupa dances of old, they are used by the spirits now for possession: it is the old people’s music, and the spirits are old people. The spirits bring songs which they were used to when they were alive.
Salati Mukoti ∵ personal communication, 1986.

The cibitiku drum pattern is the same for all. The kace drum pattern of ilimbalakata and Ciwila is the same and the kace pattern of Mwami and Kaluwe too.
Sitifini Nunda ∵ personal communication, 1981.

Cimbwasa and Cinsengwe in fact are also words for occasions, for instance Cimbwasa ca ciwombe (Cimbwasa of begging the spirits), Cinsengwe ca Cililo (Cinsengwe of funeral mourning). In the Lenje region both are called Cimbwasa, though they know the other word. The dancing of Cimbwasa and Cinsengwe is the same.

Cimbwasa and ilimbalakata are of the same family: they resemble each other in some parts.

In accordance with their possession type, mediums can bring old songs – cimbwasa, cinsengwe or ilimbalakata – or new songs. The drummers need to recognise the type of every song being brought.

Some story songs are Mwami or Kaluwe songs, or cisungu. A Mwami or Kaluwe medium can bring a story song at a Cibombe [Song 168 is given as an example] but it could also be sung as ilimbalakata during hunting rituals (Cilili ca cisanda). Ciwila mediums can’t bring story songs.

Cilaila is Cila ca kwangala (gathering with music for rejoicing) and, of course, we also have Cila ca kupupa (gatherings with music for kupupa) and Cila ca kulila (gatherings with music for mourning).
Mika Mwape Chungwa ∵ personal communication at five occasions, 1986.

Songs and dances in Zambia: classification by specialists.