Vimbuza the Healing Dance 978-9990802474, 9990802475

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Vimbuza The Healing Dance





 Copyright 2014 Boston Soko All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from the publishers.

Published by Imabili Indigenous Knowledge Publications P.O. Box 1376 Zomba, Malawi Published under the auspices of UNESCO

ISBN 978-99908-0247-4 Imabili Text no. IV

Layout and Cover: Josephine KaweJele Editor: Professor Klaus Fiedler, Mzuzu University

Cover Picture: Kennedy Mvula, Vimbuza Dancer, by Rupert Poeschl





Vimbuza The Healing Dance of Northern Malawi

Boston Soko Imabali Text no. 4 A World Cultural Heritage





Foreword UNESCO must be commended for recognizing the Vimbuza healing dance of the Tumbuka of Northern Malawi. We would like to thank, in particular, UNESCO Malawi for recommending this to their headquarters in Paris. This decision has ultimately led to the promotion and safeguarding of the dance as part of the world's cultural heritage. This book is based on the thesis for a PhD degree presented to the University of Paris III La Sorbonne Nouvelle in 1984 and which was published by the Museum of Man (Musée de l’Homme) on microfiche that same year under the title: “Stylistique et Messages dans le Vimbuza” (Style and Message in the Vimbuza). I am happy to acknowledge the funding of the publication by UNESCO and the editorial work by my colleague at Mzuzu University, Professor Klaus Fiedler.         WƌŽĨWĂƐĐĂůŽŶŐǁĞǁĂƐĂŐƌĞĂƚůĂĚLJĚŝǀŝŶĞƌĂŶĚŚĞĂůĞƌŽĨƚŚĞϭϵϯϬƐĂŶĚ ϭϵϰϬƐ͘,ĞƌǀŝůůĂŐĞǁĂƐƐŝƚƵĂƚĞĚĂůŽŶŐƚŚĞƌŝǀĞƌDƚĞŶƚŚĞĂƚDƉŚŽŶŐŽŽŶ ƚŚĞtĞƐƚŽĨDnjŝŵďĂƚŽǁŶ͘

Song no. 81 Wanga Wanijimira chiphurusi60 Wayesa nga nimunkhwara Ati yaye yare–yare–yare, ati yaye–yaye

You have dug up for me the chiphurusi root Do you believe that this is medicine? Ati yaye yare–yare–yare, ati yaye–yaye 61 Is it not spread, spread, spread

 58

In some areas Chimbwazi is substituted for Mthente.

59

In Swahili gari means any kind of cart, and if that cart is propelled by fire (moto), it becomes a motor car (garimoto). 60

A root without medicinal value.

61

This refers to the herbalist spreading her or his medicinal roots for sale.



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Eh wanga umene Wanijimira chiphurusi

Eh, nothing but poison You have dug up for me the chiphurusi root, You have dug up for me the chiphurusi root, Did you believe that it was medicine? Ahe yaye yere yare Ahe yaye, spread it you did, spread it, spread it, spread it Eh, poison in fact

Wanijinira chiphurusi Mwayesa nga nimunkhwara Ahe yaye yere yare62 Ahi yaye yare – yare yare yare Eh wanga umene

ŶĂĐĐƵƐĂƚŝŽŶĂŐĂŝŶƐƚĨĂůƐĞŚĞĂůĞƌƐ͘

Song no. 82 A Jele Bafipa A Jele Bafipa bala ‘kwiza para Tibapokerere Tibamange A Jele Bafipa bala ‘kwiza para Tibapokerere Tibamange

Jele, the Black one, here he comes Let’s welcome him Let’s arrest him Jele, the Black one, here he comes Let’s welcome him Let’s arrest him

Chorus Heza eh heza eh Heza eh Tibamange Heza eh Tibamange Tibamange Tibamange Tiyeni tibamange tiyeni tiwonge inde Tiyeni tiwonge Tibamange

Heza eh heza eh Heza eh Let’s arrest them Heza eh Let’s arrest him Let’s arrest him Let’s arrest him Let’s arrest him, let's thank him, yes Let’s thank him Let’s arrest him

 62



Ideophone which signifies that one spreads something (in a repeating way).

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dŚĞ :ĞůĞ ůŝŶĞ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ŽŶĞ ĨƌŽŵ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĂǀĞ ĐŽŵĞ ƚŚĞ EŐŽŶŝ ŚŝĞĨƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƌĞĂŽĨDnjŝŵďĂ͘KƌŝŐŝŶĂůůLJĨƌŽŵƵůƵůĂŶĚƚŚŝƐĐůĂŶŚĂƐĂĐůĞĂƌƐŬŝŶ͘/ŶƚŚĞ ƐŽŶŐƉĞŽƉůĞĞdžƉƌĞƐƐƚŚĞŝƌƐƵƌƉƌŝƐĞŽŶŵĞĞƚŝŶŐĂ:ĞůĞǁŚŽŚĂƐďůĂĐŬƐŬŝŶ͕ ďƵƚƚŚĞƐŽŶŐĚŽĞƐŶŽƚƐƉĞĂŬŽĨĂůŝǀŝŶŐ:ĞůĞďƵƚŽĨĂ:ĞůĞƐƉŝƌŝƚ͘dŚĞŵĂŶ ĂůůƵĚĞĚ ƚŽ ǁĂƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĂůĞŶŝ sŝůůĂŐĞ͕ d͘͘ DnjƵŬƵnjƵŬƵ͕ ŵďĂŶŐǁĞŶŝ͕ DnjŝŵďĂ͘

Song no. 83 Matete Matete ghakulakata mudambo

The reeds are losing their leaves down at the swamp Zamuwone he eh Come and see, he eh Matete ghakulakata mudambo The reeds are losing their leaves down at the swamp Zamuwone he eh zamuwone he eh Come and see, he eh, come and see, he eh Zamuwone matete ghakulakata mudambo Come and see the reeds are losing their leaves down at the swamp Zamuwone he eh zamuwone Come and see, he eh, come and see Matete ghakulakata The reeds they are losing their leaves

dŚĞƐŽŶŐŝƐĂďŽƵƚĂƐƚƌĂŶŐĞƚŚŝŶŐƚŚĂƚŽĐĐƵƌƌĞĚŝŶĂǀŝůůĂŐĞ͘hƐƵĂůůLJƌĞĞĚƐ ĚŽŶŽƚůŽƐĞůĞĂǀĞƐ͖ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐƵŶŚĞĂƌĚŽĨŚĂƐŚĂƉƉĞŶĞĚ͘63

Song no. 84 Katantha Wiza katantha mulupiri wiza na vula Wiza katantha mulupiri wiza na vula Eh yilokwenge

Katantha has come to the mountains, he has come with rain Katantha has come to the mountains, he has come with rain Eh, it is going to rain

 63



There may be a reference to spirit possession here.

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Yirokwenge vula yirokwenge Yirokwenge vula yirokwenge Eh yilokwenge

It is going to rain, it is going to rain It is going to rain, it is going to rain Eh, it is going to rain