My name is Prince Banda, a young man aged 20, I am a percussionist and a Dancer (choreographer) and I am from Malawi currently living in Mozambique. It has been 7 months now since I arrived in Maputo and I had a great time of learning some new things and getting a lot of experiences. Actually I learnt a new language which is Portuguese although I understand much more than I speak. I have been working on projects with many people and I had great time with them. The most interesting moments I enjoyed here is when I was working with the kids teaching them music and dance. Anyway, that was just a glimpse of my moments, but I have more to share with you guys. During my time here I did some research concerning Mozambican culture in the area of music and dance and more or less of history of it so I want to welcome to Mozambique.
One of the amazing things about Mozambique that makes it to be attractive and a magical destination is its rich culture and diverse way of life. An important part of Mozambican culture is music and dances many customs in Mozambique are rooted in the culture of local groups, passed down by the generations. Let’s have a look at some of these interesting tradition dances and customs which make Mozambique so unique.
woman dancing Marrabenta
Let’s take look at Marrabenta, one of the most popular traditional dance and musical genre in Mozambique particularly from Maputo in the southern part where it was originated in the urban environments. It was emerged in the beginning of the 2nd half of the 20th century, in the golden age of Lourenço Marques which is currently named Maputo now. In the early days Marrabenta was played by a male singer, accompanied by a chorus of woman, and played with improvised instruments made from locally materials such as oil cans, fishing threads and bits of wood. This genre arose from a fusion of European music with the traditional rhythms of Mozambique. Currently, this genre has influenced musicians of the new generation. With the passage of time, marrabenta became a national cultural symbol and a reference of the identity of Mozambique
The Marrabenta dance, where men and women participate, consists in producing slides with the feet, in the lateral sense and in creating strong movements of the body. In the antero-posterior sense and telling stories of untold in there dance routine. They Dance to the rhythm with their smiling faces and the dance has a unique custom which women wears: Capulana. This is the name given in Mozambique to a cloth traditionally used by women to gird their body, and sometimes the head, also skirt, and may even cover the trunk. So they use it when they are dancing. People dance marrabenta in so many events such as weddings, parties and etc. even in the clubs when it comes to marrabenta songs you can’t even think of sitting down.
But that’s not all. I have another traditional dance that I really want you to know. I was so excited when I saw this dance because in my country Malawi we also have that type of dance which means we share. So let me explain about this traditional dance a little.
Nhau(nyau) that’s the name it called it is also known as Gule Wamkulu(Great Dance) This is a ritual dance Originated in the Central part of Mozambique in the district of TETE which share boundaries with Malawi and Zambia. This dance is practiced by the Chewa, a part of the Bantu tribe which is the largest ethnic group found in some parts of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia and both of this countries practice this type of dance. The Gule Wamkulu dates back to the great Chewa empire of the seventeenth century. It was danced by members of the Nyau brotherhood, a secret society of initiated men. In the traditional Nyau brotherhood was a means of creating a counterweight and solidarity among the men of various villages. Nyau members remained responsible for the initiation of young people into adult life and the representation of the Gule Wamkulu at the end of the process of initiation, celebrating the integration of young adult men into society and also they dance it when someone dies mostly important people in the village such as chiefs, elders and member of Nyau Brotherhood.
Nhau(nyau) dance has its custom were people wear masks made from wood and straw in a variety of characters, such as wild animals, spirits of dead people, as well as more recent characters such as “Honda” or “helicopter” . Each of these characters plays the role has its meaning. These characters perform dances with extraordinary energy, entertaining and scaring the public as representatives of the world of spirits and the dead. They have traditional drums made from a wooden shape and animal skins which they play while the dancers dance following the rhymes.
That’s all. I dig you……. see you “tchau tchau”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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