Malawi, through the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture has organised the first Ludo Diversity of Malawi Festival as one way of promoting the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
According to the ministry, the festival aims to protect, preserve and promote knowledge passed on from generation to generation by popularising the tradition games such as Phada, Ndado, Ntchuwa, Nguli, Nsikwa, Kamgolosale, Fulaye, Fish-fish, Nthonga/Kabeza and Mbalika.
| Courtesy of Mwale
The festival is slated for November 14 at Kamuzu Institute for Sports in Lilongwe.
The ministry’s spokesperson MacMillan Mwale speaking in an interview yesterday, said the festival initiative is one of the many interventions the country is making in promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Mwale said: “We have done research on food and dances and we have submitted gule wamkulu, nsima, ntchopa (rain-making dance), vimbuza (healing dance) and mwinoghe (joyance dance) to Unesco.”
He said participants at the festival will be selected in collaboration with ethnic and cultural groupings such as Mulhako wa Alhomwe, Chiwanja cha Ayao, Mgumano wa Sena ndi amang’anja, Chewa Heritage and M’dauko w Atonga.
“We are bringing together 120 traditional game players and they will compete in 10 games. But those who will be willing to play will also be given a chance. The games will be played on purposeful built materials to ensure that players remain clean,” he said.
Arts and culture commentator Wonderful Mkutche said the modern world has overlooked the importance of culture in national identity and development.
Mkutche said: “Over the years, we have seen different tribes engaging in separate culture events. This has been seen as divisive by some. Therefore, a common cultural festival is a good idea towards creating a united national identity.”
He said it is also encouraging that Ludo Diversity of Malawi Festival is targeting the youth, who have been consumed by the modernity.
The initiative is part of Malawi being a signatory of the 2003 United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Convention for the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage which emphasises on protection, preservation and promotion of practices representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities, groups and in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.
According to the convention, such heritage may be manifested in domains such as oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practice about nature and the universe and traditional craftsmanship.
Unesco will also provide part of the funding for the event.
