CHIBUKU Neshamwari traditional dance competition is in its 51st year and still celebrates and conserves different dances that highlight different cultures.
This year, provincial competitions for Chibuku Neshamwari are still on course with Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Bulawayo, Midlands and Harare having already had theirs.
Some of the dances that were featured in the competitions include Dinhe, Mbende, Likuba, Malawi Nyau, Zambia Nyau, Chimtali, Tangi and Muchongoyo.
Patriot Arts caught up with the executive president of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Dancers Association, Kennedy Kachuruka, to get an insight into some of the traditional dances that were featured at the Harare provincial competitions.
Muchongoyo
The dance is mostly common in Manicaland among the Ndau people.
It is a dance that celebrates victory in battle and is usually danced by men while women join in to celebrate with ululations.
The dancers make use of knobkerries they call ‘Ndonga’ and only two drums are used for the dance.
Tangi
Kachuruka said the dance is as an extract of Muchongoyo.
Like Muchongoyo, it is also a celebration dance, but the difference is that dancers will be showing techniques or tactics they do in a battle.
Two drums are used, one big and another small and they are both beaten by sticks.
It is common among the Ndau people from places like Chipinge and Birchenough.
Unlike Muchongoyo, the dancers do not use knobkerries, but a whistle to compliment the dance.
Chimtali
Kachuruka described it as a ‘circle dance’ performed by women mostly found in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
Although it is common in these three countries, each country is different from the other in dance steps, language and moral beliefs.
The only similarity is that Chimtali is performed at Chinamwari, a ceremony practised to prepare girls to start their households.
In Mozambique, women use their waist and knees to dance, in Malawi they use buttocks and knees while in Zambia they use their waist at most.
Chimtali is also regarded as an exercise for women.
Zambia Nyau
According to Kachuruka this is a ceremonial and celebrating dance.
It is performed by the Nsenga and Nyanja-speaking people of Zambia.
It is most common in the regions Mpetauke, Ndola and Lusaka in Zambia.
Here in Zimbabwe these dances are most common in farming and mining communities.
Zambia Nyau is performed in Zimbabwe as an entertainment during weekends.
The dancers use masks as their faces which are used for circus or fun.
Their backing vocals are women and a minimum of three or more people should sing.
The dance is also characterised by four drums, a whistle and a rattle.
Malawi Nyau and Mozambican Nyau
These are some of the dances that are common in the communities surrounding Zimbabwe and also featured at Chibuku Neshamwari said Kachuruka.
The two share the same secrets which are that one cannot be a member of Nyau without undergoing the rituals which they call ‘Chinamwari Chagure’, a recruitment of new members.
Normally dancers make use of five to seven drums during their performance and they do not use a whistle.
Just like Zambian Nyau, their backing vocals are done by women whom they call ‘Man’ombe’.
All their songs have meaning and the dances are ceremonial, for rituals and spiritual.
Lukuba
Kachuruka said this is a dance that is performed by the Sena-speaking people.
It is most common in Msanje in Malawi and Tete in Mozambique.
Sena-Lukuba dance is a celebration dance mostly performed at weddings, birthday parties and during weekends for entertainment.
It is performed by both men and women and is also referred to as a courtship dance.
Chitubuko from Mt Hampden won the Harare Provincial competition making the second group that will be dancing Zambian Nyau in the national finals to be held on August 16 2014.
Chibuku Neshamwari is organised by Zimbabwe National Dancers Association and fully-sponsored by Delta Beverages through the popular Chibuku brand while the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe facilitates.