DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0384
368
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
steps are accompanied by movements of the shoulders which form the feature of the dance.
Performers may go into the middle and do ku-punila (see mkonde').
Mlawanda resembled njeula; it is an old dance not seen now.
Chibonde is a dance for youths, the characteristic feature being that, at intervals, they
squat down on their heels and spin round very fast, with frog-like movements (Pl. Ill,
fig- 1).
Mkonde is a favorite dance for men and women; drums, likuti, ntiyatiya, mchoso,
chiminingo, and several Zm/uftcz. The dancers commence by going round in a circle, and then,
facing the drums, they all continue their steps without moving from their places, while a
few go out into the circle and dance in the open space about the drums. Two men go out
from one side and are met by two women from the other side. Men love to carry their
knives in their hands on these occasions, properly the large knife with an ivory handle
called msinjo; a man would go miles to borrow such a knife from a friend, for the dance.
The women often carry rattles in their hands. After dancing in the middle for a time,
they will severally withdraw to the circle, to be followed by others. A man dancing out
into the middle, may go up to any woman in the circle or among the onlookers, and by
touching her on the shoulder with his knife, invite her to come out and dance. In the middle
of the ring, he may embrace her, after which each retires to his place. To make this em-
brace is called ku-punila; the man folds the woman to his breast. It is very gently done
with a certain air of gallantry, and there was formerly no objectionable element in it. A
man does not extend this embrace to his wife or to any near relatives. Kw-pwmZa occurs
in other dances: chibonde, chilewe, mlenjesa, njeula, mbasula, masambala, chibilo, lichipi,
and liyaya, and in sekwe.
Chilewe: the drums used are chiminingo and mchoso. It is danced by young men and
women; as in other dances, a ring is formed, the men on one side, the women on the other.
The song is usually started by two men on one side and answered by two women on the
opposite side. When the song is well under way, the drums are signalled and all start danc-
ing in a circle. Movement in all dances is counter-clockwise. After circling round, the
dancers come to a stand-still, while men and women go out into the middle and dance
a kind of quick heel-and-toe step, followed by ku-punila.
In the intervals of dancing, the girls and boys often play at sekwe. They may stand or
sit in a ring. One of the boys standing in the middle sings, “ Sekwe sekwe, sekwe sewke,
sekwe! ” with an accompaniment of clapping by the ring of youths, but no drums. He then
goes up to any girl sitting in the ring and asks her whom she wants; she names some one
who is then called out, and the girl and boy dance up and down together, embrace (jku-pu-
nila), and return to their places. Another girl is then asked. Sometimes the girls will take
up the song, and ask the boys to choose. It is like a kind of “ kiss in the ring.”
There is another kind of dance for boys and girls. They are arranged in rows opposite
one another, some paces apart. The boys grasp a long pole and bending forward, dance up
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
steps are accompanied by movements of the shoulders which form the feature of the dance.
Performers may go into the middle and do ku-punila (see mkonde').
Mlawanda resembled njeula; it is an old dance not seen now.
Chibonde is a dance for youths, the characteristic feature being that, at intervals, they
squat down on their heels and spin round very fast, with frog-like movements (Pl. Ill,
fig- 1).
Mkonde is a favorite dance for men and women; drums, likuti, ntiyatiya, mchoso,
chiminingo, and several Zm/uftcz. The dancers commence by going round in a circle, and then,
facing the drums, they all continue their steps without moving from their places, while a
few go out into the circle and dance in the open space about the drums. Two men go out
from one side and are met by two women from the other side. Men love to carry their
knives in their hands on these occasions, properly the large knife with an ivory handle
called msinjo; a man would go miles to borrow such a knife from a friend, for the dance.
The women often carry rattles in their hands. After dancing in the middle for a time,
they will severally withdraw to the circle, to be followed by others. A man dancing out
into the middle, may go up to any woman in the circle or among the onlookers, and by
touching her on the shoulder with his knife, invite her to come out and dance. In the middle
of the ring, he may embrace her, after which each retires to his place. To make this em-
brace is called ku-punila; the man folds the woman to his breast. It is very gently done
with a certain air of gallantry, and there was formerly no objectionable element in it. A
man does not extend this embrace to his wife or to any near relatives. Kw-pwmZa occurs
in other dances: chibonde, chilewe, mlenjesa, njeula, mbasula, masambala, chibilo, lichipi,
and liyaya, and in sekwe.
Chilewe: the drums used are chiminingo and mchoso. It is danced by young men and
women; as in other dances, a ring is formed, the men on one side, the women on the other.
The song is usually started by two men on one side and answered by two women on the
opposite side. When the song is well under way, the drums are signalled and all start danc-
ing in a circle. Movement in all dances is counter-clockwise. After circling round, the
dancers come to a stand-still, while men and women go out into the middle and dance
a kind of quick heel-and-toe step, followed by ku-punila.
In the intervals of dancing, the girls and boys often play at sekwe. They may stand or
sit in a ring. One of the boys standing in the middle sings, “ Sekwe sekwe, sekwe sewke,
sekwe! ” with an accompaniment of clapping by the ring of youths, but no drums. He then
goes up to any girl sitting in the ring and asks her whom she wants; she names some one
who is then called out, and the girl and boy dance up and down together, embrace (jku-pu-
nila), and return to their places. Another girl is then asked. Sometimes the girls will take
up the song, and ask the boys to choose. It is like a kind of “ kiss in the ring.”
There is another kind of dance for boys and girls. They are arranged in rows opposite
one another, some paces apart. The boys grasp a long pole and bending forward, dance up