Chewas honour cultural custodians

The Chewa chants of ‘Yo Gawa’ continously reverberated in the Great Sapitwa lobby of Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe.

Traditionally prepared foods such as limanda left even those dieting drooling for a not just a bite, but a proper dish.

And then there was Gule Wamkulu, the biggest traditional dance among the Chewa.

Generally, Nyau dances involve intricate footwork, flinging dust in the air. But on Friday night, dancers responded to specific drumbeats and songs depending on the mask type or character on the tiled floor of the hotel.

That did not change the impact the dance is known for and has on its people.

The dance still involved complex footwork, great stamina as the dancers shuffled, stepped and responded to specific drum beats and songs.

One thing is sure. They are surrounded by mystery and intrigue. As such, some see them as evil, while others, especially the Chewas, see them as harmless. No wonder, since 2005, Gule Wamkulu has been classified as one of the 90 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, a programme by Unesco for preservation of intangible cultural heritage.

This is how people from this tribe celebrated the Chewa Cultural Night on Friday. Music also formed part of the menu for the night organised to promote, protect and uphold the culture the Chewas while fundraising for activities of their traditional body, Chewa Heritage Foundation (Chefo).

Proceeds from the event will go towards the Kulamba Ceremony of the Chewa speaking people of Malawi, Eastern Zambia and Mozambique.

Some of the awardees are Paramount Chief Lundu, former vice-president and Chefo chairperson Justin Malewezi, former speaker of Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda, MCP president Lazarus Chakwera, Jean Kalirani, Uladi Mussa, Archbishop Tarsizius Ziyaye, cultural anthropologist Dyson Gonthi and musician Maria Chidzanja-Nkhoma.