The sounds of Peter Kalumba Chishala, Paul Ngozi, Alick Nkhata, Tshala Muana, Kanda Bongoman, Awilo Longomba, Oliver Mthukudzi, Maureen Lilanda, Pontiano Kaiche, Angela Nyirenda and many others make a soulful experience on a long drive in the country. For old timers this may be a nostalgic experience. As a consolation, many find solace even in the modern sounds of youngsters.
At the monthly Writers’ Circle gathering in Lusaka in 2011 Maliya Mzyece Sililo, a senior language lecturer and cultural expert, remarked that Pentecostal churches had contributed to the destruction of African culture. She stressed đądeparture from drums (ngoma) and embracing of the piano and guitar in churches as one of the major factors that killed our culture.
Related to this, a Lusaka cleric Patrick Osagie, PhD, proved in his academic thesis that African music should not be driven away from churches. He stated that Pentecostal churches would have more impact if they incorporated African culture in their activities as the Catholics and Muslims had done. That African culture and the gospel ought to consummate their marriage and become one was his emphasis.
Interestingly, one of the most powerful establishments to have graced the Zambian scene with music is named Mondo Music Corporation Limited. Mondo is also a personal name among the Lunda of Luapula Province and among the Bemba people drawn from a traditional instrument that played the role of a “talking drum.” Another variant among the Lunda of Northwestern Province with similar meaning is Mwondo. Beat in a certain way, the talking drum was believed to have the capacity to send specific messages across great distances without requiring the services of a messenger.
Below is a sample of some anthroponyms (human names) which relate to musical instruments. Most of these are from Zambian languages, with few exemptions such as Acholi, Ganda and Langi (Uganda), Kongo (Angola, Congo DR), Igbo, and Yoruba (Nigeria), Shona (Zimbabwe), Swahili (Congo DR, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, etc.) and Tswana (Botswana). Chewa and Ngoni languages, among others, are shared between Zambia and Malawi. The names are in bold letters, followed by their meanings in single inverted commas and the languages in which they exist are in parentheses:
Ayandele ‘the drummer has come home’ (Yoruba)
Chingomangoma ‘skillful drummaker’ (Luchazi)
Hangoma ‘drummer’; one fond of making drums (Tonga)
Ikoro ‘the drum of the tribe’ (Igbo)
Kalizangoma ‘a drum beater’ (Kongo)
Kamangu ‘a kind of drum’ (Kunda, Bemba)
Kigoma ‘small drum’ (Swahili)
Lishomwa 'royal drum' (Lozi)
Luneta ‘trumpet’ (Luvale)
Mondo ‘a talking drum’ (Bemba, Lunda)
Moropa ‘drum’ (Tswana)
Mwendabala ‘a drum beat (Kaonde)
Ngoma ‘drum’ (Bemba, Chewa, Kongo, Shona)
Nakibuule ‘drum’; one of the special drums in Buganda kingdom (Ganda)
Obilo ‘home for making music’ (Acholi, Langi)
Tsangoma ‘a drum beater’ (Ngoni)
Zilire ‘play the drums’ (Nsenga)
Furthermore, in their collective social anthropological study titled The Quest for Fruition through Ngoma: The Political Aspects of Healing in Southern Africa, Rijk van Dijk, Ria Reis & Marja Spierenburg (2000) used the word Ngoma to refer to various aspects of life in Central and Southern Africa, and beyond the continent whose (geographical and cultural) extent have not yet been determined. These included rainmaking rituals, the initiation of the coming of age girls and boys, installation of the chieftaincy, celebrating regional and national political leaders, dancing with masks, and traditional healing rituals, songs, panegyrics, phrases, and so on. John M. Janzen’s study titled Ngoma, Discourse of Healing in Central and Southern Africa (1992) also sychronise with the above troika’s findings.
Even in the absence of a drum, these practices are referred to as Ngoma as long as they represent transition from one social state to another.
Additionally, in Jane Harrison’s (and subsequently, Victor Turner’s) worldwide classification of sacra – sacred objects and practices – among religions, drums and other musical instruments fell in the main category, while masks, mirrors and mbusa – pottery emblems – fell in a lower group.
Earlier, the Catholic Church stood against African culture, labeling it as fetishism, animism and paganism. Jean-Baptiste Sourou observed that culture was not in the good terms with, “the Catholic Church or other Christian denominations since the beginning of evangelisation in Africa… Before Vatican II, the official liturgical language of the Catholic Church in African villages had been Latin.” He further observed:
“… their music and dance, and their prayers and other observances were considered by the first missionaries to be barbarism, fetishism, idolatry
For many Africans who had become Christians, the imposition of the missionaries provoked a real question of identity, many of which were collected in 1956 in the theological manifesto, ‘The black priests question themselves’.”
Following a series of Vatican Pontifical Councils and Bishopric Synods from the 1960s through the 90s and early 2000s, efforts were made to make the Church, “more at home in Africa, and Africans … more and more at home in the Church… one could use African musical instruments in church, celebrate Mass in the indigenous languages, and sing and translate the Bible into African languages.”
Concerning African culture, Pope Benedict XVI talked of making the cardinal distinction between culture and cult. “African Christians can and must be African and Christian. This will enrich our continent,” (Sourou).
Under the leadership Rev. Professor Yolanda Norton, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, United States holds what they call the BeyoncĂ© Mass on Wednesday nights since 2017 and are using BeyoncĂ© Knowles’ music as a tool for evangelism. I think that this was an outrageous step, which may be equated to cult practices, for the church to take. This example by no means comparable to the embrace of African culture. Culture is to be held in higher esteem as it is more definitive of a people’s identity.
The African rhythm should not die a silent death. It is a significant part of the African identity. The rhythm in itself is neutral, just like any instrument or music genre can be used to convey any message – secular or religious.
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