The Traditional Kulamba Ceremony is one of the most important cultural events of the Chewa people of Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, which takes place annually on the last Saturday in August. To give an idea of the scale of this traditional event, the Kulamba ceremony attracts traditional rulers from 137 chiefdoms in Malawi, 33 in Mozambique and 42 in Zambia, as well as hundreds of thousands of people from all three countries. Chewa culture has been recognised as Intangible Heritage by UNESCO since 2008.
The ritual dance of the Gule Wamkulu during Kulamba
The Gule Wamkulu was both a secret cult and a ritual dance practised by the Chewa people. It was danced only by members of the Nyau brotherhood, a secret society of male initiates.
Members of the Nyau secret society are still responsible for the initiation of young men into adulthood and for the performance of the Gule Wamkulu dance at the end of the initiation process, celebrating the integration of young men into adult society.
Gule Wamkulu takes place in the season following the July harvest, but can also be seen at weddings, funerals, and on the occasion of the inauguration, death of a chief or at the Kulamba Ceremony.
On these occasions, Nyau dancers wear costumes and masks made of wood and straw. They represent a wide variety of characters, such as wild animals, spirits of the dead, the spirits of the slave traders, as well as more recent characters such as the ‘Honda’ or the ‘helicopter’.
Each of these characters plays the role of someone, often evil, who illustrates a form of misconduct, which serves to teach the audience about moral and social values.
These characters perform dances with extraordinary energy, entertaining and frightening the audience as representatives of the spirit world and the dead.
Gule Wamkulu dates back to the great Chewa empire of the 17th century. Despite the efforts of Christian missionaries to abolish this custom, it has managed to survive under British colonial rule by adopting some aspects of Christianity.
Don’t miss our account of the Likumbi Lya Mize ceremony in Zambia, another very interesting manifestation of traditional culture and if you are interested in travelling to Zambia to attend these ceremonies, please contact us at info@kumakonda.com.
