I AGREE with whoever has considered most of Zambia’s typical Provincial rural areas as luxuriantly gifted with customs, etiquette, traditions, culture and good manners. And Luapula Province is one of them.
Luapula Province – an impulsive glance at dance, music and drama evoke memories of yester-year! Sandauni in vernacular generally meant Sundowns, and was associated to all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy adage – historically was a time when all work was done, and now, time to relax over a drink!
In rural setups, there were lots of theatrical activities, impropriety which brought in creativity, imagination, inventiveness, ingenuity and originality in their poetry, dance and drama – everyone was a participant, at the same time part of the audience.
Listen to Krzysztof Warlikowski, a Polish theatre director, and author of the 2015 World Theatre Day message released only a few days before the end of the celebrations, “The true masters of the theatre are most easily found far from the stage. And they generally have no interest in theatre as a machine for replicating conventions and reproducing clichés.”
The World Theatre Day closed on 27 March following a weeklong of activities worldwide from March 21. In Zambia the National Theatre Arts Arts of Zambia celebrated in Kabwe.
In Krzysztof’s message I find it significant and relevant, exceedingly elevating when I correlate, and associate it to one Muzumba Traditional Ensemble which group leader Dominic Ngandwe described as essentially a theatrical band.
Muzumba is an all-embracing group based in Mwense, Luapula Province, and was in transit to Livingstone last week for the Tourist capital’s annual International Arts Festival  (26 – 28 March) when I caught up with them in Kitwe.
Dominic aged 64 explained, “Firstly, I was a young traditional dancer in Livingstone, and so when I relocated to live in Luapula Province; I realized I needed to incarnate my talent. I formed Muzumba in 1968 to relive activities of the people of Luapula Province, and this we have done, and achieved with a strong team of members that now travel widely, and about.”
Primarily engaged in traditional dances, predominantly specializing in the indigenous, original Kalela, a dance that choreographs the residents’ lifestyles from sunrise to sunset; Dominic said they perform short sketches too with sharp messages that educate audiences in local languages.
“We have performed widely especially in Luapula Province at all major ceremonies; but also the 16 of us travelled to Rome, Italy in 1996 and staged various traditional dances before various important audiences,” Dominic said unveiling that his players cuddled full time ‘workers.’
Flanked by part of his group’s executive committee Foster Lengwe, who is the group’s chairlady, Jacqueline Mwewa and Zachariah Mwape, Dominic assumes his works as an artist is original such that even the performances in Livingstone were scheduled to impress and excite their audiences.
Other Muzumba members include Freda Chabala, Morton Mafumbi, William Chama and Jonas Kunda. The group has a ‘workforce’ of 22 members. And not only is the group still looking for more talents, but resources and sponsorship.
“It’s the first time we are traveling to Livingstone as Muzumba, therefore, we intend to put up the best, then afterwards we can receive more local and international invitations in other provinces when they watch us,” Dominic, who moves with clutches recounted.
Further in Krzysztof Warlikowski’s message he goes, “They search out the pulsing source, the living currents that tend to bypass performance halls and the throngs of people bent on copying some world or another. We copy instead of create worlds that are focused or even reliant on debate with an audience, on emotions that swell below the surface. And actually there is nothing that can reveal hidden passions better than the theatre.”
Made up, largely of the typical and characteristic Ushi, Abena Ng’ombo, Abena Chishinga, Abena Kabende and Unga people, Muzumba is neither a tribal nor a party, but that most members derive from Luapula as a mere twist of fate.
Dominic explained that his teammates were the initiators of the popular Kalindula as a dance, disclosing that his assemblage performed it theatrically without instruments other than traditional drums.
Led by Maggie Chola, representing the Provincial Cultural Affairs Officer, Mazumba was out to make a distinctive dissimilarity in Livingstone during the festival.
Maggie, who recently worked in Mpongwe and Masaiti, and is on transfer to Mwense described the experience with Muzumba as thrilling as she targets to promote the various performing arts in Luapula Province.
Believably those that consider typical Provincial rural areas as richly endowed with decorum, customs, protocol, traditions, culture and manners are not far wrong. Let us help promote them, and through such groups as Muzumba.
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As you read this column, a play, Love in Genocide Circles wuld have already been staged for two nights last Friday and yesterday at Muuflira Little Theatre. This is the first play Bob Nkosha, now running Metro Theatre at Lubambe complex in Kitwe is engaged in. Aiming to expose young talent, the play has Mosho, a role played by the talented Mpundu Mushota.
Tutsi Warlord Mosho is all out to eliminate Hutu’s until he meets the beautiful Idris whom he initially admires as just an object of sexual abuse. However, he begins to develop strong feelings for her when his second in command rescues her and decides to run away with her. Marko too develops a deep affection for the captive but she is carrying Mosho’s baby, so she reveals.
After reflecting on their situation the two escapees decide to go back to the camp and face Mosho and see if he could have a change of mind and heart towards Hutus.
Written by Leonard Koloko, directed by Bob Nkosha and produced by Viviene Silwamba – the author illustrates how love overcomes ethnic conflict. Written in 1998, Leonard was inspired by the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
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Chingola Arts Society visits Mufulira Little Theatre on 3 and 4 April 2015 with Evans Kalandanya’s Let Fools Die. Produced by Clement Muyasani and directed by Elias Chabushiku, Let Fools Die echoes the mix in traditional and modern society. The play highlights such trends as comical, seriousness and tragedy.
According to Clement the charges at Mufulira are pegged at K30.00 single and K50.00 double, and that all were welcome as the play is averagely classified for all ages.
John.kapesa818@yahoo.co.uk – 0955-0967-0977-710975