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ward, conquering nearly all the tribes they encoun-
tered. Each time they conquered a people, they cel-
ebrated their victory by holding a celebration known
as the Umutombuko .
This two-day ceremony is a spectacular mix of mys-
tic rituals and performances. Women traditionally
bring tributes of beer and food to the chief of the
tribe. The chief, smeared with white powder, then
pays homage to his ancestors, and is carried back
to his palace to the sounds of beating drums. On the
second day, a goat is slaughtered, before the chief
leads the tribe in the Mutomboko dance. The pin-
nacle of the ceremony occurs when the chief takes
his sword in his hand and points it meaningfully in
all directions, implying that there is nobody who can
conquer him except for God, as he points upwards.
He then points down to indicate where he will lay
to rest when he dies. The brightly coloured cotton
skirts worn by the chief, and his senior council are in
remembrance of an early king who received gifts of
such cloth from Portuguese ambassadors long ago.
The ceremony takes place in a specially prepared
arena on the banks of the Ng’ona River in Luapula
Province on July 29 or the closest weekend.
The Shimunenga:
Shimunenga is considered by the Ba-ila people of
Maala to be a divine being, whose blessings help to
increase crop yields of the region, bring cattle from
the plains, and whose blessings are also sought out
to rectify a murder in the community. The Shimunen-
ga Ceremony is the time for the people to thank their
god for providing them protection. The ceremony
takes place once a year between September and
November. It lasts for 3 days and takes place at the
home of the Ba-ila of Maala.
The N’cwala:
The N’cwala is a religious ceremony performed by
the Ngoni people of Eastern Zambia giving thanks
for the harvest. Taking place at Mutenguleni Village
on the 24th of February, the ceremony involves
tasting the first fresh produce of the year, which is
accompanied by the consumption of beer and tradi-
tional dancing.
N’cwala Ceremony chief
The Likumbi Lya Mize:
The Likumbi Lya Mize takes place at Mize, the offi-
cial palace of Senior Chief Ndungu in North-Western
Province. People of the Luvale tribe gather to cel-
ebrate their cultural heritage, bringing displays of all
types of handicrafts while also engaging in traditional
singing and dancing.
MUSIC AND DANCE
Many traditional instruments are still played through-
out the country. The more common ones are the
hand piano, a small instrument with iron keys
mounted on a rectangular box and plucked by both
thumbs. Or the silimba, a xylophone type instrument
with a range of flat wooden keys. The most common
instrument of course is the drum. Drumming plays
an integral part of rituals, ceremonies, celebrations
and even community communication.
Dance is an important part of musical expression
among many African peoples, and Zambians are no
different. Dance is used to express ideas, emotions,
and serves to reflect life and thought of the past,
present and future, times of war and peace, and of
course celebration.