Songs and dances in Zambia: spirit possession
Songs and dances in Zambia: spirit possession. Several articles on this site discuss aspects of spirit possession music and dance in Chibale. In this article we provide links to these articles.
Links to articles on spirit possession music and dance
An introduction to spirit possession in Chibale. And a short story of becoming a spirit-possessed with reference to the role music and dance play in this.
The relation between the local cults and the spirit possession cults.
The gatherings with music at which the spirit possessed play an important role: rituals of rejoicing, rituals of mourning and rituals of problem solving. A comparison of different initiation rituals of the possessed (Cibombe ca cisungu). The course of events and the layout of rituals where the possessed perform. The interaction between drummers and dancers at those rituals.
Songs and dances in Zambia: spirit possession. The different genres of possession music and dance in Chibale. Kaluwe, Ciwila, Mwami, Mashabe and Moba. And related repertoires: Cinsengwe, Cisungu and the women’s repertoires.
A description of the music and songs of a few ing’omba still remembered in Chibale. The cinsengwe ing’omba and the masamba ing’omba.
The worldview of those who are healers, leaders of possession cult groups and singer/dancers/mediums. And the way this world view correlates with how music has to sound.
Photo 13 ∵ Ciwila dancing at the Ipupo lya fikankomba
The Ciwila possessed Bola dancing at the Ipupo lya fikankomba.
Songs and dances in Zambia: spirit possession. The central role of spirit possession (music) in the history of Chibale music, the classification of music and the relations between the major song genres.
The importance of popularity in music and dance for mediums and the relations between talent, skill and success.
The detailed description of what happens at a particular Ipupo, in a series of articles, will give you a sense of what goes on at the rituals where the possessed perform. It is hard to overestimate the importance of song texts at these rituals. Therefore, all song texts brought at that Ipupo and their interpretation are brought in one series of articles.