The research underlying this site: introduction
The research underpinning this site was conducted in Chibale, an area in Zambia.
Research periods in Chibale included 1981, 1985-1986, 1987, 2004, 2006-2007 and 2008-2012, amounting to approximately two years of actual presence.
This research was undertaken in co-operation with numerous individuals in Chibale and some from abroad. These people were involved not only as ‘sources’ but also as beneficiaries of the research, with the capacity to influence influence its direction. Many expressed interest in the descriptive side of it, as this contributes to the recording of Chibale’s culture. A few were keen to gain a better understanding of the roles of music, dance, text, and ritual, all with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of their music, dance, text, or ritual.
The purpose of the research is to describe the repertoires of music and related dance, text, and ritual in Chibale and to contribute to a better understanding of the central role of music in cultures in South Central Africa.
From its outset, the methods have involved observing, participating, interacting, and attempting to construct descriptions and analyses through dialogue. Additionally, some large surveys were conducted on preferences for music and dance, text evaluation, and musical knowledge. This provided further input for the dialogues.
After an interruption in research between 1989 and 2004, two stays in 2004 and 2006/7 were used to expand the material somewhat, check the findings with the people still alive, and bring the research up to date. In the last part (2007-2012), some people in Chibale were trained and enabled to create all kinds of media materials from a Chibale perspective.
Since the internet was not used in Chibale at that time, some of the material on this site was distributed in Chibale in 2008 in the form of 200 copies of a book with an accompanying DVD. After fulfilling this promise and after retiring from my work at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht in 2020, it became possible to publish that book in an extended version in a better form –this site– and to direct it also to other people who are interested in culture(s) in Africa. It is a blessing that in the meantime many people in Zambia have begun to use smartphones. This gives them access to this site.
For more information on the research, follow these links.
References in the articles on this site are rendered in short form, like: Mapoma (1980b:631).
To find the complete reference, the reader is invited to link to:
References used on this site.
For a list of contributors, link to:
People from Chibale who contributed to the research.
And finally, click here for the Acknowledgements.