Kamba People: Intelligent, Brave, Expert Arts And Crafts Men, Drumming Together With Dancing People Of Kenya Who Likewise Founded African Towns Inwards Paraguay
The Kamba (Akamba inwards the plural) or Wakamba are agriculturalist, music together with dance-loving as good as Kikamba-speaking people of Bantu extraction living inwards the semi-arid Eastern Province of Republic of Kenya stretching E from Nairobi to Tsavo together with due north upward to Embu, Kenya. The Akamba refer to their terra firma as Ukambani; which is currently constituted past times Makueni County, Kitui County together with Machakos County. The Maasai telephone phone the Akamba - Lungnu together with the coastal people telephone phone the Akamba – Waumanguo due to their scanty dress.
Kamba farmers wedding ceremony their java farm
Today, the Akamba are oft institute engaged inwards different professions: some are agriculturalists, others are traders, patch others have got taken upward formal jobs. Barter merchandise amongst the Kikuyu, Maasai, Meru together with Embu people inwards the interior together with the Mijikenda together with Arab people of the coast was also practised past times the Akamba who straddled the eastern plains of Kenya.
Kamba carvings. woodworkersjournal.com
Over time, the Akamba extended their commercial activity together with wielded economical command across the primal component of the terra firma that was after to live known as Republic of Kenya (from the Kikamba, 'Kiinyaa', pregnant 'the Ostrich Country'), from the Indian Ocean inwards the E to Lake Victoria inwards the west, together with all the way upward to Lake Turkana on the northern frontier. The Akamba traded inwards locally-produced goods such as cane beer, ivory, brass amulets, tools together with weapons, millet, together with cattle. The nutrient obtained from trading helped offset shortages caused past times droughts together with famines.
Kamba Tribe Decorative Gourd Bowl Set of 2 (Kenya
They also traded inwards medicinal products known as 'Miti' (literally: plants), made from diverse parts of the numerous medicinal plants institute on the Southeast African plains. The Akamba are soundless known for their fine piece of work inwards wood carving, basketry together with pottery. Their artistic inclination is evidenced inwards the sculpture piece of work that is on display inwards many arts and crafts shops together with galleries inwards the major cities together with towns of Kenya.
Kamba wood works
Kamba Society
Although a large component of Kamba civilization has go westernized, together with the large towns together with villages have got greatly increased inwards number (the Kamba population itself is straight off v times larger than it was inwards the 1930s), the traditional pattern of theatre unit of measurement homesteads persists, together with is 1 of the few traditional social structures to have got survived the twentieth century. Other forms of social together with political structures - such as clans, councils of elders, together with age-sets - straight off appear to live primarily historical, together with are no longer inwards use.
Family: In Akamba culture, the theatre unit of measurement (Musyi) plays a primal role inwards the community. The Akamba extended theatre unit of measurement or clan is called mbai. The man, who is the caput of the family, is commonly engaged inwards an economical activity pop amidst the community similar trading, hunting, cattle-herding or farming. He is known as Nau, Tata, or Asa.
The woman, whatever her husband's occupation, works on her plot of land, which she is given upon joining her husband's household. She supplies the volume of the nutrient consumed past times her family. She grows maize, millet, sugariness potatoes, pumpkin, beans, dove peas, greens, arrow root, cassava, together with yam inwards cooler regions similar Kangundo, Kilungu together with Mbooni. It is the mother's role to convey upward the children. Even children that have got grown upward into adults are expected to never contradict the mother's wishes. The woman parent is known as Mwaitu ('our One').
Very petty distinction is made betwixt one's children together with nieces together with nephews. They address their maternal uncle as naimiwa together with maternal aunts as mwendya together with for their paternal uncle together with aunt as mwendw'au. They address their paternal cousins as wa-asa or wa'ia (for men is mwanaasa or mwanaa'ia, together with for women is mwiitu wa'asa or mwiitu wa'ia), together with the maternal cousins (mother's side) as wa mwendya (for men mwanaa mwendya; for women mwiitu wa mwendya). Children oft displace from 1 household to some other amongst ease, together with are made to experience at dwelling theatre past times their aunts together with uncles who, patch inwards accuse of their nephews/nieces, are their de facto parents.
Grandparents (Susu or Usua (grandmother), Umau or Umaa (grandfather)) assist amongst the less strenuous chores around the home, such as rope-making, tanning leather, carving of beehives, three-legged wooden stools, cleaning together with decorating calabashes, making bows together with arrows, etc. Older women go along to piece of work the land, as this is seen as a source of independence together with economical security. They also send out merchandise inwards the local markets, though non exclusively. In the modern Akamba family, the women, peculiarly inwards the urban regions, practise professions such as teaching, law, medicine, nursing, secretarial work, management, tailoring together with other duties inwards accordance amongst Kenya's socioeconomic evolution.
Age-Sets: Individuals were organized inwards age-sets, but dissimilar the Kikuyu, Embu, Mbeere together with Chuka, these were non based on initiation.
Men together with women of the grade of elders (atumia) formed political district councils that governed several utui. They also performed the component of priests, acting as ceremonial intermediaries betwixt the living together with God or the spirit-ancestors.
Clans: The Kamba were originally grouped into some 25 dispersed patrilineal clans (utui) of varying size, which were oft mutually hostile. The Akamba have got xiv major clans together with xi little clans. This makes a total of 25 clans. When a theatre unit of measurement grows into a clan, it is natural that the clan grows together with separates into several clans. This did gain off to the Akamba.
Their social together with territorial boundaries were flexible, together with the scheme seems to a greater extent than to have got been a response to fluid geographical groupings rather than strictly determined past times ancestry or tradition. There seem to have got been few if whatever institutions of centralized political authority, although inwards times of external threat, armed services activity could live coordinated across the whole tribe.
Clan meetings were called mbai, together with through them political matters that affected the whole tribe were decided. The British abolished the scheme inwards the nineteenth century, imposing appointed leaders instead. Nowadays, elections together with modern politics are the usual source of political power.
Below is a listing of the twenty-five clans of the Akamba.
The xiv Major Clans include: Akanga, Aketdini, Aketutu, Ambuane, Amoei, Amoieni, Amotei – trappers, Anzaone, Anzio, Asii, Atangoa, Atui – blacksmiths, Eembe together with Ethanga.
The xi Minor Clans are: Adine, Akeimei, Akuu, Amena, Amokabu, Amomone, Amooi, Amouti, Anilo, Aoani, Athonzo
Marriage (Ntheo): The Akmaba have got deep-rooted traditions, which are practiced peculiarly inwards their matrimony customs. Under the Kamba customs, during a Kamba wedding, a human being must exhibit his honor for the bride’s theatre unit of measurement past times starting fourth dimension acknowledging that their immature adult woman has been brought upward good together with is so of groovy worth.
Before a matrimony ceremony is conducted, the groom (with his kin) must throw an of import political party popularly referred to as Ntheo. Ntheo is genuinely the minimum requirement that demonstrates the bride officially belongs to the human being she is engaged to.
In instance the couples are inwards a "come-we-stay" arrangement, pregnant at that spot was no advance ceremony before they began living as hubby together with wife, the entire matrimony is deemed zero together with void nether the Kamba customary law.
As a result, the adult woman inwards the matrimony is considered an illegitimate married adult woman together with the human being illegitimate husband. If, together with God forbid, a adult woman whose hubby is yet to throw the ntheo political party to her (bride`€™s) kin dies, she cannot live buried past times her hubby no affair how long she had stayed amongst him. And if the hubby finds it of import to bury the remains of his married adult woman at his home, he has to send out the ntheo ceremony before the burial.
An ordinary ntheo ceremony involve at to the lowest degree 3 goats, 1 of which must live a he-goat that is un-castrated. However, you lot may have got to a greater extent than than 3 goats but the dominion is that the number of the animals to live presented to the bride`s theatre unit of measurement for the purpose of ntheo must add together upward to an strange number. This agency the goats may live five, seven, ix together with so on but non 4 or six!
During this ceremony, only a handful unopen relatives of both sides of families are involved. The he-goat is together with so slaughtered past times the groom, or alternatively a blood brother to the groom. It is believed that as shortly as blood of the he-goat spills on the ground, the bride becomes "officially owned" past times the groom that rattling moment. But it does non destination there. H5N1 piece of soft meat popularly known as kikonde, extracted from the slaughtered caprine animal is given to both the bride together with groom, who must eat at to the lowest degree a piece each as "an oath" that they volition maintain the covenant of their marriage.
In instance ntheo ceremony is carried out before a matrimony ceremony similar it is the instance inwards most Christian marriages, the bride is deemed to already "lawfully" belong to her fiance nether Kamba customary law. And fifty-fifty if at that spot is no church building ceremony the ii are deemed married.
Once nutrient is served to those nowadays at the ceremony, women together with children are issued amongst soft drinks patch men who are considered mature are served amongst Kaluvu, the Kamba traditional beer. It is of import to greenback it is the groom`s responsibleness to ensure both types of drinks are made available inwards acceptable character together with quantity. Once the ntheo ceremony is done, the procedure of "€˜buying a wife"€™ begins at that spot together with then. The bride`s kin are to nowadays the numerous items the bride`s theatre unit of measurement volition require as dowry.
However, these items may live paid through installments that are commonly negotiated at friendly footing past times the ii sides of the families. Dowry is what is popularly referred to as ngasya. Coming on the top of the listing of items for ngasya are 48 goats, which must eventually live delivered to the bride̢۪s family. This means, for instance, if the groom used 3 goats for the ntheo ceremony, he is left amongst an outstanding residuum of 45 goats.
Also inwards the listing of dowry items are ii drums of dear referred to as Ithembe, ii blankets as good as ii bed sheets. These may live issued physically or monetary compensation offered against each item. Another interesting item that features prominently inwards the listing of dowry items is a large caprine animal called ndua itaa brought to the bride`s parents. This 1 is supposed to signify that the bed that belonged to the bride patch at her parents`€™ dwelling theatre has straight off been bought past times the groom`s family. To crown the marriage, the groom is also expected to throw yet some other mega political party to the in-laws, together with this fourth dimension the entire hamlet is invited to feast. H5N1 huge, castrated bull is slaughtered together with friends together with neighbours are invited for a ceremony dubbed ilute. During this ceremony, the bride is showered amongst gifts past times members of her kin together with friends alike, which she may take to her matrimonial home. Divorce: But what if the worst happens together with the groom intends to divorce his wife? The groom volition have got to incur some other terms again! Under Kamba tradition, the groom (together amongst his parents) must take ii goats, 1 manlike somebody together with some other woman somebody called mbui sya maleo (goats of divorce) to the bride`s family. The groom`s theatre unit of measurement may opt to claim all what they incurred inwards dowry payments after "deporting" the bride to her parents` home, or exactly forget nigh it altogether!
Childbirth: During the lastly 3 months of her pregnancy, the expectant woman parent was also forbidden to eat fat, beans, together with the meat of animals killed amongst poisoned arrows. In addition, she ate a special sort of ground institute on termite hills (termitariums) or on trees. This ground is starting fourth dimension chewed past times termites, together with so deposited on trees together with grass, or piled upward to shape a mound. When eaten, such 'earth' strengthens the body of the child.
Before giving birth, all weapons together with Fe articles were removed from the theatre of the expectant mother, as it was believed that Fe articles attracted lightning (both, 1 mightiness presume, physical together with 'spiritual', the latter inwards the shape of evil spirits).
When a kid is born, the parents slaughter a caprine animal or bull on the 3rd day. Many people come upward to feast together with rejoice amongst the family, together with women who have got borne children acquire together to give a call to the child. This is known as 'the call of ngima', ngima beingness the main dish prepared for the occasion.
On the 4th day, the manlike somebody parent hangs an Fe necklace on the child's neck, after which it is regarded as a total human beingness together with as having lost contact amongst the spirit world. Before that, a kid is regarded as an 'object' belonging to the spirits (kiimu), together with if it should boot the bucket before the naming ceremony, the woman parent becomes ritually dirty together with must live cleansed.
During the nighttime next the naming, the parents perform ritual sexual intercourse, which is the seal of the child's separation from the spirits together with the living-dead, together with its integration into the society of human beings.
Circumcision together with clitoridectomy: Circumcision together with clitoridectomy remain of import amidst the Kamba, together with through them a kid attains adulthood. In some parts at that spot are ii separate stages: the "small" ceremony (nzaikonini), which occurs when the kid is betwixt 4 together with v years old together with the "big" ceremony (nzaikoneni), which occurs when the kid reaches puberty together with is a to a greater extent than prolonged catamenia of initiation.
Female circumcision, which was officially banned past times the Kenyan authorities inwards 1981, is soundless widely practised.
Naming together with Akamba names
Naming of children is an of import aspect of the Akamba people. The starting fourth dimension 4 children, ii boys together with ii girls, are named after the grandparents on both sides of the family. The starting fourth dimension man child is named after the paternal granddad together with the 2nd after the maternal grandfather. Girls are similarly named. Because of the honor that the Kamba people discover betwixt the varied relationships, at that spot are people amongst whom they cannot utter inwards "first name" terms.
The manlike somebody parent together with the woman parent in-law on the husband's side, for instance, tin never address their immature adult woman in-law past times her starting fourth dimension name. Neither tin she address them past times their starting fourth dimension names. Yet she has to call her children after them. To solve this problem, a scheme of naming is adopted that gave names which were descriptive of the character or career of the grandparents. Therefore, when a adult woman is married into a family, she is given a theatre unit of measurement call (some sort of baptismal name), such as "Syomunyithya/ng'a Mutunga," that is, "she who is to live the woman parent of Munyithya/Mutunga."
Her starting fourth dimension boy is to live called past times this name. This call Munyithya was descriptive of certainly qualities of the paternal granddad or of his career. Thus, when she is calling her son, she would indeed live calling her manlike somebody parent in-law, but at the same fourth dimension strictly observing the cultural law of never addressing her in-laws past times their starting fourth dimension names.
After these 4 children are named, whose names were to a greater extent than or less predetermined, other children could live given whatever other names, sometimes after other relatives together with / or theatre unit of measurement friends on both sides of the family. Occasionally, children were given names that were descriptive of the circumstances nether which they were born:
*"Nduku" (girl) together with "Mutuku" (boy) pregnant born at night,
*"Kioko" (boy) born inwards the morning,
*"Mumbua/Syombua" (girl)and "Wambua" (boy) for the fourth dimension of rain,
*"Wayua" (girl) for the fourth dimension of famine,
*"Makau" (boy) for the fourth dimension of war,
*"Musyoka/Kasyuko/Musyoki" (boy) together with "Kasyoka/Kasyoki" (girl) as a re-incarnation of a dead theatre unit of measurement member,
*"Mutua" (boy) together with "Mutuo/Mwikali" (girl)as indicative of the long duration the parents had waited for this child, or a lengthy catamenia of gestation.
Children were also given affectionate names as expressions of what their parents wished them to live inwards life. Such names would live like
*"Mutongoi" (leader),
*"Musili" (judge),
*"Muthui" (the rich one),
*"Ngumbau" (hero, the brave one).
Of course, some of these names could live only expressive of the qualities displayed past times the human being or adult woman after whom they were named. Very rarely, a man child may live given the call "Musumbi" (meaning "king"). I say rattling rarely because the Kamba people did non utter much inwards terms of royalty; they did non have got a definite monarchical system. They were ruled past times a council of elders called kingole. There is a prophecy of a man, who traces his ancestry to where the Sun sets (west) (in the nowadays hateful solar daytime county of Kitui) who volition bear this name.
H5N1 immature adult woman could live called "Mumbe" pregnant beautiful. Wild creature names similar Nzoka (snake), Mbiti (hyena), Mbuku (hare), Munyambu (lion), or Mbiwa (fox); or domesticated creature names similar Ngiti (dog), Ng'ombe (cow), or Nguku (chicken), were given to children born of mothers who started past times giving stillbirths. This was done to wishing away the bad omen together with allow the novel kid to survive. Sometimes the names were used to save the practiced names for after children. There was a belief that a woman's after children had a meliorate take a opportunity of surviving than her starting fourth dimension ones.
Ethnic Kamba man child from Kiongwe hamlet inwards Kenya
Religious Belief
The Akamba believe inwards a monotheistic, invisible together with transcendental God, Ngai or Mulungu, who lives upward inwards the sky (yayayani or ituni). Another venerable call for God is Asa (the strong Lord or the Father). He is also known as Ngai Mumbi (God the creator, fashioner or maker), na Mwatuangi (God the 'distributor' or 'cleaver', from the human human activity of slicing meat amongst a knife or splitting wood amongst an axe), together with Mlungu ('creator'), which is the call most commonly used inwards East Africa for the creator God, together with exists as far S as the Zambesi of Zambia.
Ngai or Mlungu is perceived as the omnipotent Creator of life on earth, Protector together with as a merciful, if distant, entity. The Kamba say that God does to them only what is good, so they have got no argue to complain. He protects people, together with is known as both 'the God of comfort' together with 'the Rain Giver' (rain is sometimes called the 'saliva of God', together with for this argue to spit on something (such as a child) is a symbol of groovy blessing).
At planting time, the Kamba inquire God to bless their seeds together with their piece of work on the fields, together with as a God of consolation together with sustenance, He intervenes when human assist is boring or ineffective.
The Kamba consider the heavens together with the ground to live the Father's 'equal-sized bowls': they are his belongings both past times creation together with rights of ownership; together with they comprise his belongings, including livestock, which he lowered from the sky together with gave (perhaps 'lent' is to a greater extent than correct) to the Kamba.
The traditional Akamba perceive the spirits (kiimu) together with spirits of their departed ones, the Aimu or Maimu, as the intercessors betwixt themselves together with Ngai Mulungu. They are remembered inwards theatre unit of measurement rituals together with offerings / libations at private altars.
Spirits (Kiimu): It is said that some spirits were created as such past times God, whilst others were 1 time human beings: the spirits of deceased ancestors, who are also known as the 'living-dead'. God controls them together with sometimes sends them as his messengers. Some are friendly together with benevolent, others are malevolent, but the bulk are 'neutral' or both 'good together with evil', similar human beings.
Nonetheless, inwards traditional life, families are careful to create libation of beer (uki), milk or water, together with to give bits of nutrient to the living-dead, inwards monastic enjoin to appease the ones that may wishing to do damage to the living.
Some diviners together with medicine-men have instruction through dreams or appearance of the spirits together with the living-dead, concerning diagnosis, handling together with prevention of diseases, although when healing comes, it is oft attributed to God, fifty-fifty if medical agents (or spirits) may have got played a component inwards the healing process. After recovery from a serious illness, the Kamba say 'Ah, if it were non for God's help, I/he would live dead past times now!'.
Spirit possession past times both the spirits together with the living-dead is commonly reported, though less straight off than inwards previous years. Around the plow of this century, at that spot was an 'outbreak' of spirit possession inwards the southern component of the country, when the phenomenon 'swept through the communities similar an epidemic'. It is believed that some women have got spirit 'husbands' who cause them to go pregnant.
H5N1 considerable number of people soundless study seeing spirits together with the living-dead, both lone as individuals together with inwards groups amongst other men or women. They are commonly spotted along hillsides or inwards river beds. In such places, their lights are seen at night, their cattle heard mooing or their children crying. Mbiti, the groovy African traditional religious scholar mentions ii such experiences, as recounted past times ii pastor friends of his:
"One of them was walking dwelling theatre from schoolhouse amongst a beau schoolboy inwards the evening. They had to cross a stream, on the other side of which was a hill. As they approached this stream, they saw lights on the loma inwards forepart of them, where otherwise nobody lived. My friend asked his companion what that was, together with he told him non to fright but that it was a sack from the spirits. They had to go on the side of the hill, together with my friend was getting frightened. His companion told him that he had seen such fires before, together with that both of them had only to sing Christian hymns together with at that spot would live no danger to them. So they walked on singing, together with as they went past times the hill, the spirits began tossing stones at them. Some of the stones went rolling upward to where the ii boys were walking, but did non striking them.
As the immature men were leaving this hill, they saw a sack circular which were shadowy figures which my friend's companion told him were the spirits themselves.
Some of the spirits were striking others amongst whips together with asking them, 'Why did you lot non striking those boys?', 'Why did you lot non striking them?' The ii immature men could hear some of the spirits crying from the beating which they received, but did non hear what argue they gave for non hitting the boys amongst stones."
He cited some other example:
"The other pastor told me that when he was nigh twenty, he went amongst several other immature men into a wood to collect dear from the bark of a withered tree. The dear was made past times little insects which do non sting, together with which are institute inwards different parts of the country. The identify was far away from the villages. When they reached the tree, he climbed upward inwards monastic enjoin to cutting opened upward the barks together with the torso of the tree. While upward on the tree, he all of a precipitous heard whistling as if from shepherds together with herdsmen. He stopped hitting the tree. The grouping listened inwards silence. They heard clearly the whistling together with the sound of cattle, sheep together with goats, coming from the wood towards where they were collecting honey. The sound together with vocalism grew louder as the spirits drew nearer, together with the immature men realized that shortly the spirits would gain them. Since people do non graze animals inwards forests but only inwards plains, together with since the identify was as good far from the villages for men to drive cattle through here, the immature men decided that only the spirits could mayhap live approaching them. They looked inwards the management from which the sound came, but saw nobody, yet whatever made that sound was getting nearer together with nearer to them. So the men decided to abandon their dear together with flee for their lives. They never returned to that surface area again."
Sacrifice: The Kamba create sacrifices on groovy occasions, such as at the rites of passage, planting time, before crops ripen, at the harvest of the starting fourth dimension fruits, at the ceremony of purifying a hamlet after an epidemic, together with most of all when the rains neglect or delay. They work oxen, sheep or goats of 1 colour, together with inwards the instance of severe drought they formerly sacrificed a kid which they buried live inwards a shrine.
The shrines themselves are unobtrusive, traditionally beingness wood clearings containing either a large or otherwise sacred tree (such as the fig tree), or other notable natural objects, such as unusually smooth or polished bounders. The trees may non live cutting down, together with the shrines are regarded as a sanctuary for animals together with humans alike (including criminals, if they dare acquire inwards them - the fright of reprisal from spirits is great). The thought is similar to the sacred kayas of the Mijikenda, together with the sacred groves of the Embu together with Mbeere.
Kamba woman
Proverbs together with Riddles
1. Wikuma wilika. Despite your bark, you'll live eaten! It agency similar braggarts, cowardly dogs bark a lot. Prowling leopards easily spot together with eat them.
2. U wi kivetani nduthekaa ula wi iko. (One inwards the woodpile does non express joy at 1 inwards the fire). It agency don't laugh! You may live next.
3. Too umanthaa na awe. (Only a medicine human being gets rich past times sleeping). it agency amongst coin inwards hand, clients volition wake him up.
4. Nguli syonthe itiania musoani. (All monkeys cannot hang on 1 branch). It agency people differ
5. Ki kitungaa mutumia ndithya ndakisi. (An old human being doesn't know what makes him herd again) It agency old Kamba men rarely herded; their sons together with grandsons did.
#Riddles (Ndae)
Kikamba English
1. Question: Kungula kangala kithembeni? Kungulu kambagal (noise) inwards the drum?
Answer : Mutwaano wa mbia H5N1 wedding ceremony of rats
2. Question: Nayiatha na kaluma ndiu ndukakwata? It's inwards space, together with you lot can't touching the eagle eater?
Answer: Ndata A star
3. Question: Kaveti kaa kanini kakilitye mwenyu kuua? This little adult woman cooks meliorate than your mother?
Answer: Nzuki A bee
4. Question: Kikungu muingo? Dust on the other ridge?
Answer: Nzana isembee mwana A monitor lizard running for its child
5. Question: Masee ma asa meanene? My father's ii equal calabashes?
Answer: Itu na nthi globe together with sky
Kamba dance
Music together with Dance
Undoubtedly the most spectacular manifestation of traditional Kamba civilization was their dancing, performed to throbbing polyrhythmic drum beats. It was characterised past times exceptionally acrobatic leaps together with somersaults, which flung dancers into the air. The trend of playing was similar to that of the as disappeared traditions of the Embu together with Chuka: the drummers would handgrip the long drums betwixt their legs, together with would also dance. The Kambas of Paraguay inwards South America soundless perform this traditional dance.
Kamba musicians
From the 1960s, groups similar Kilimambogo Brothers of the belatedly Kakai Kilonzo, Mateo Festos of Muema Brothers together with Peter Mwambi of Kyanyanga Boys Band have got composed striking songs that captivated non exactly Ukambani but the entire country.
Unfortunately, amongst the exception of official functions together with music festivals (where professional person cultural troupes perform), Kamba dancing is straight off almost if non completely extinct. With the exception of 1 commercially available tape ("Akamba Drums", Tamasha), I failed to discover whatever tapes of drum music, nor whatever reference to existing groups. The only live 'Akamba' drumming I heard was a pale mistaken past times a touristic multi-tribal ensemble on the coast, whose authenticity was inevitably suspect.
Several of the dances had armed services themes, straight derived from the participation past times Kamba inwards large numbers inwards the country's armed forces, starting amongst the First World War when they served nether the British inwards Bharat together with the Middle East.
The Musical Bow - Uta wa mundu mue: The Kamba musical bow is similar to those of other peoples, consisting of a tautly-strung bow, to which is attached a gourd resonator. The playing technique is, however, unusual: whilst beating the string amongst a stick to create a single note, the performer sings into the hollow gourd.
The musical instrument was played past times medicine men patch treating patients, together with the Kamba call for the musical instrument - uta wa mundu mue - literally agency 'the bow of the medicine man.'
Drums - Ngoma: Ngoma served 3 main purposes inwards Kamba life, together with each purpose could live determined past times the crunch (the next is adapted from the sleeve notes to "Akamba Drums"):
1. Three heavy drum beats together with a two- to three-minute intermission sounded a alert to the hamlet of an approaching enemy.
2. H5N1 single continuous crunch was meant to remind villagers that it was fourth dimension to encounter somewhere, from where all would go together with assist cultivate the shamba (farm) for a colleague of theirs.
3. H5N1 heavy single stroke of the drum, followed past times a continuous whistling was a telephone phone from assist from the neighbours when for instance a hut was on sack or cattle rustlers had raided a cattle boma (enclosure).
Whenever the Ngoma drum was used inwards celebrations, it was starting fourth dimension warmed inwards the Sun to attain the right timbre. During the trip the lite fantastic a number of them could live used.
Drum dances - Kilumi: Kilumi (pl. milumi) drum songs together with dances were traditionally performed past times women together with comprised of ii kilumi drums accompanying the ululations together with singing of a Pb vocaliser backed past times ii other women vocalists. Usually, the drummers compose together with sing too.
Formerly for old women, kilumi is straight off danced to fifty-fifty past times men, together with kilumi is 1 of the few songs together with dances that traditionalists soundless perform inwards Ukambani. One session of the kilumi trip the lite fantastic could lastly nigh one-half an hour, together with the entire performance for something similar 8 hours.
Laughing at something
Museve Muumbi was carried downward past times water,
I came amongst Nzambi.
Don't forget, he knows what I want.
You volition thatch amongst grass please. Muumbi drowned.
H5N1 slithering serpent drowned. You volition thatch amongst grass. Oh yes!
You volition thatch amongst grass. Muumbi drowned. I came amongst Nzambi.
What do you lot know?
I was laughing at something. Soon it volition live morning.
Iii of Mulovi of Walii together with Ngata,
permit me piece of work similar white men. What is it?
I volition want to greet Walii,
Iii. Aiiiii. He is possessed! [spoken]
I volition want to greet Walii,
Iii. Aiiiii. He is possessed! [spoken]
Do you lot know, I express joy at something I want. Walii together with Ngata, if I want to, I'll telephone phone on you lot inwards the evening. Haieeee!
Other drum dances:
The next is adapted from the sleeve notes to "Akamba Drums".
Mbeni: This trip the lite fantastic is for immature single people together with because of its tiring pace, it has the shortest sessions. One session lasts less than x minutes. Its instruments are a laid of 4 drums together with 3 whistles. Danced inwards pairs as it gets to the climax, when the manlike somebody dancer (Anake) jumps nigh 4 feet into the air together with somersaults.
Kamba mbeni dance
Nduli: The most pop trip the lite fantastic amidst Kamba teenagers. It is a status that whatever man child attending an Nduli session must live circumcised, for it is inwards the Nduli trip the lite fantastic that 1 may take a partner for life.
Kisanga: This is a thanks-giving trip the lite fantastic for all ages, both immature together with old. It is performed only when the hamlet has had a practiced harvest. During the celebration a white caprine animal is slaughtered, its blood poured nether the Kitutu Tree, together with its meat left close the tree for Mulungu (God).
Mwasa: The Mwasa trip the lite fantastic involved ii drums, 1 little together with 1 large, together with was institute inwards northern Kitui. While non primarily used for dancing, Mwasa served as an accompaniment patch elders enjoyed uki beer. Mwasa is a relatively novel drum beat, which comes from a combination of Nzumari from the Giriama (one of the 'Nine Tribes' of the Mijikenda) together with master Kamba Ngoma. It came into existence during the Second World War, when Giriama together with Kamba soldiers served together inwards the colonial army.
Kamba Mwasa dance
Songs
The Kamba have got many kinds of songs; together with each type has a name. The songs included: mbathi sya kivalo; myali (general social commentary together with scathing attacks [nzeo] against miscreants); lullabies; together with songs for circumcisions, marriages, work, together with hunts (uthiani). Circumcision songs had many names: ngakali (or kakali) together with undiu. Unmarried girls sang maio ("mourning" songs) at a newly married girl's dwelling theatre to "mourn" losing their colleague. While thatching, threshing or digging, people commonly worked to the rhythms of songs.
Mbathi sya kivalo were wathi songs accompanied past times trip the lite fantastic and, often, instrumental music. These songs differed according to the trip the lite fantastic steps together with drums used. Songs accompanied past times instruments included kyaa, ngutha, mbalya, kuli, mbeni, kilumi together with ngulukulu. Unaccompanied songs included nzai, kithakyo, musya, kilamu, mukungo, kilui, kileve, mawese together with mbalu.
Myali (singular mwali) were sung at wathis - large ceremonies amongst singing, dancing, together with socializing. Myali were neither accompanied past times musical instruments nor danced to inwards Machakos together with Kitui Central. At the wathi, myali were sung during interludes betwixt dances. They were also sung at weddings, after work, or only for leisure. They were composed together with sung throughout the year, fifty-fifty when wathi was out of season. Though every Kamba mightiness sing myali, few composed them. The mwali composer (ngui) would sing a recent composition, sometimes on asking [...]
Though wathis are non held inwards most of Ukambani, myali are soundless sung inwards little informal groups. The ngui together with mbasa interviewed during this inquiry reported that ngui were no longer composing novel myali. More thorough inquiry is needed to let on whether these customs have got survived inwards some parts of Ukambani.
Traditionally, myali covered events, experiences together with attitudes of the Kamba - conserving traditions together with defending customary mores. Besides entertaining, mwali also conveyed the Kamba's aspirations, hopes together with fears. The linguistic communication inwards myali was highly figurative amongst many metaphors, similes, together with innuendos using imagery mutual to the people together with their surroundings. Multiple themes were portrayed easily since 1 give-and-take or phrase could have got several meanings at different levels. Thematically, myali were remarkably eclectic; each mwali dealt amongst multiple themes simultaneously. In rapid fire, the apparent focus shifted abruptly, though - through hidden references - major themes continually resurfaced. This made myali hard to sympathize because certainly words or phrases could live taken literally amongst deeper meanings eluding casual listeners. People were challenged to decipher the meanings of the things, places together with persons alluded to. These disguised references made myali both hard together with popular; they were oft codes understood past times an intended few. By choosing words or occurrences known to few people, a ngui could conceal many ideas together with messages, though he sang publicly.
Myali extolled exceptional feats past times individuals or groups together with denounced deviant actions or behaviour, peculiarly inwards nzeo ("to piece off"), a subclass of myali. Nzeo helped Kamba gild dependent wrongdoers, rogues, together with social misfits. Society, amongst its many eyes, swiftly exposed villainous behaviour. The culprits were named, together with quickly, inwards the regular shape provided past times wathi. Traditionally, the Kamba were non at all reluctant to call publicly whatever wrongdoer. And everyone dreaded the scorn together with wrath that ensued such world exposures. Once sung, people would call back together with sing those nzeo long afterwards during wathi together with patch relaxing, walking, or working, peculiarly when inwards earshot of the culprit. Psychologically, the peer-group pressure level was immense; together with people feared committing whatever transgression that mightiness inspire a ngui to sing a nzeo against them.
With needlelike satire - currently an nether used science - myali seriously criticized society. For example, a torrent of myali condemned colonial oppression together with exploitation. Myali helped mobilize people against the colonialists, though previous researchers have got largely overlooked this function. Since myali was a major device for Kamba gild to maintain its cohesion, discipline, together with moral fibre, the colonialists' prohibition of wathi - the main fora for myali - struck a vital blow to the Kamba's powerfulness to resist armed services together with cultural domination, eg., orders to burn downward their traditional adornments together with clothing.
A novice ngui emulated older ngui together with learned from their compositions. The budding ngui would compose a mwali together with sing it to himself together with his friends exterior the wathi before beingness officially introduced at a wathi. H5N1 novel ngui had to live recognized past times elders together with prominent ngui who would endorse him at the wathi.
Since they received no formal preparation inwards the fine art of composing, the ngui's knack for composition was seen as divinely inspired. People much esteemed their ngii. If a ngui sang a mwali portending evil befalling someone, gild believed this would eventually happen.
The ngui respected together with mentioned each other inwards their compositions, thereby recognizing each other's talents together with demonstrating professional person solidarity. Occasionally, ngui competed against each other. Each ngui was listened to individually. They insulted 1 another, calling each other names together with pointing out their faults as a somebody together with a ngui. They used subtle words only their historic catamenia mates understood. But this was exactly a mock rivalry rarely extending beyond the wathi.
A ngui's competence together with artistic inventiveness was measured past times how accurately he portrayed events, occasions or deeds. Originality together with imaginative work of the linguistic communication proved his artistic ability. By ingeniously manipulating the language, a ngui became distinguished. Though composition of a mwali was commonly inspired past times a specific event, the mwali also referred to other events the ngui had observed or heard about.
Each ngui chose 1 or to a greater extent than men (mbasa) to assist him sing. He composed a mwali on his own, sometimes isolating himself for days, depending on how rapidly the mwali was formed. Then he called his mbasa together with sang the vocal repeatedly until they memorized it later, the ngui together with his mbasa attended the wathi together with sang the novel composition. H5N1 mbasa never composed or altered myali; they only sang amongst their ngui. H5N1 mbasa accompanied the ngui at all his performances. He carried the ngui's stool together with pare together with whatever gifts received. After singing at a component (eg., a wedding ceremony or feast), the ngui together with his mbasa were fed kituma, a specially prepared chicken.
Wathi was the most important social occasion amidst the Kamba before colonialism. During a wathi, people gathered, sang together with danced inwards the kituto or kinyaka, a specially cleared piece of terra firma betwixt ii or 3 villages. People mingled at the wathi; together with many youths met their futurity spouses. Wathi was organized past times nthele selected past times older men together with women. Wathi happened during the dry out flavour together with was forbidden during planting, weeding together with harvesting times. At the wathi, both individuals together with groups sang amongst or without musical instruments, commonly drums. Many types of drums were used for different dances.
Different villages sometimes held trip the lite fantastic competitions. Charms together with magic were used to win the competitions, supposedly past times lessening the opponents' vigour inwards dancing or past times successfully deflecting an opponent's jinx.
Between Jan together with March, wathi wa muvingusyo (song of knocking) occurred. This sort of wathi happened at night. It started at the homesteads amongst youths singing loudly patch gathering their friends together with moving from hamlet to village. Being gratis to wander at night, immature men serenaded exterior girls' huts. H5N1 girl's manlike somebody parent would tell the group: "Stop clamouring, leave of absence the compound." This signalled that he would allow his immature adult woman to go amongst them. If he said nothing, the youths would hold back patiently, after leaving without her, but reluctantly. After many youths joined the procession, they went to the kituto or whatever opened upward infinite nearby where the wathi continued till dawn.
After the harvest together with circumcisions, wathi was at its peak. Dancing was specifically for the young. H5N1 human being could trip the lite fantastic until his children were adolescents; afterwards he could only watch. Married women, peculiarly those who had borne to a greater extent than than ii children, were commonly spectators, non dancers. Each player at the wathi had a wathi-name given past times his peers. After marriage, women's wathi-names were dropped, though men kept theirs.
For the wathi, immature men together with women adorned themselves amongst different ornaments collectively called mathaa, eg., masango, mavuo, masoa, milia, ndini, syuma, ndulo, nganyange, mamile, mbangili, ikuli together with imaba.
Kamba women drummers
Hunting songs: The next hunting vocal is called Uthiani. After a successful hunt (or raid), the hunters or warriors received a bull - the "unity" (muamba) bull - to eat.
"Due to relishing pump together with eating os marrow, I was broken.
Mwania's father's [cattle] were raided amongst a pronged stick.
Iii iiii mmmmm.
Though I mightiness fail, I'll essay to touching the breasts of the coward's wife.
Yes! Unity together with co-operation were destroyed due to relishing pump together with eating os marrow. Mwania's father's [cattle] were rustled amongst a pronged stick.
Iii iiii mmmmmmm.
I'll hunt deep into the wood till
I discover them at Makala's earthworks upward roots for the baby.
I don't want people maxim I feared elephants.
Quiver-carrier, if you lot fright elephants together with yet have got no wife, amongst what volition you lot purchase her?
You fright elephants though they have got non adorned themselves amongst masango [a type of necklace].
Bang! Kisove's hunt inwards Mbitini! [spoken]"
Lullabies: Women sang or sometimes exactly hummed brusque lullabies over together with over 1 time to a greater extent than to restless or crying babies. The next is called "Rain".
"Every worldly thing rejoices nigh rain. It is the woman parent of all the things God created.
Lululu, babe sleep.
Lululu, babe halt crying, pelting is coming.
Lululu, babe halt crying, pelting is coming."
Wedding songs: This wedding ceremony vocal is entitled "Leave your friends, forget the dances!". H5N1 soloist sings each line twice, together with the chorus repeats it twice.
"Moses, you lot are straight off married.
You should know, you lot are straight off an elder.
Forget your old companions.
Moses, you lot have got done a practiced thing for us.
You demand to know, you lot are straight off an elder.
Forget your old companions.
Stop going to the dances you lot went to.
Stop going to the movies similar you lot did before.
Aggy! Aggy is married. Know that you lot are straight off a wife.
Leave your old friends. Forget the dances you lot used to attend.
Know that you lot are straight off a wife.
Mutiswa! Mutiswa has "gone up".
Fetchers of firewood have got increased. The community has grown.
Mambwa has slept.
The community [of immature single women] is straight off 1 less."
Work songs :This song, entitled "To Gatundu to view Kenyatta", was sung as a solo to furnish a musical rhythm for road-building, which was a shape of forced labour imposed past times the British.
"Iii hep!
Have you lot heard?
Let's go to Gatundu to view Kenyatta. The people from Kithini never built a shop. Yes, have got you lot heard?
The following, called "Don't forget me!", is also sung past times a soloist, together with accompanied the tiring task of grinding grain.
"Nzakyo, you lot volition acquire me arrested.
Nzakyo, Mbuvi's son! Yes, you lot volition acquire me arrested.
Tell me what is on your mind. I'm crying.
As I opened upward together with unopen my eyes, tears exactly pour out.
Now, I am getting ready to move similar the governor's plane, the bird destined for Mwanza.
Now, I am getting ready to move similar the governor's plane, the bird destined for Mwanza."
Kamba musical group that play inwards a trend of Kilumi, wathi wa kikamba. They are also from the Kamba ethnic community (ukamba wa kitui).
Clothing
The Akamba of the modern times, similar most people inwards Kenya, wearing apparel rather conventionally inwards western / European clothing. The men have on trousers together with shirts. Young boys will, as a rule, have on shorts together with short-sleeved shirts, commonly inwards cotton, or tee-shirts. Traditionally, Akamba men wore leather brusque kilts made from creature skins or tree bark. They wore copious jewellery, mainly of copper together with brass. It consisted of neck-chains, bracelets, together with anklets.
The women inwards modern Akamba gild also wearing apparel inwards the European fashion, taking their selection from dresses, skirts, trousers, jeans together with shorts, made from the broad gain of fabrics available inwards Kenya. Primarily, however, skirts are the customary together with respectable mode of dress. In the past, the women were attired inwards knee-length leather or bark skirts, embellished amongst bead work. They wore necklaces made of beads, these obtained from the Swahili together with Arab traders. They shaved their heads clean, together with wore a caput band intensively decorated amongst beads. The diverse kilumi or trip the lite fantastic groups wore similar colours together with patterns on their bead piece of work to distinguish themselves from other groups.
Serena Williams beingness dressed as traditional Kamba woman
Traditionally, both men together with women wore leather sandals peculiarly when they ventured out of their neighbourhoods to go to the marketplace seat or on visits. While at dwelling theatre or working inwards their fields, however, they remained barefoot.
School children, manlike somebody together with female, shave their heads to maintain the spirit of uniformity together with equality. Currently the most pop Kamba creative somebody include; Ken Wamaria, Kativui, Kitunguu etc. Ken Wamaria is rated as the top creative somebody inwards Ukambani together with the richest Kenyan creative somebody (Kioko, 2012).
Death together with afterlife
In mutual amongst many other Kenyan people, the Kamba have got diverse legends that say that the starting fourth dimension men had the gift of either immortality or of rising 1 time to a greater extent than after dying. God 1 hateful solar daytime decided to create this permanent, so he called for a messenger. The people sent a rattling boring but careful animal, such as a chameleon or mole, to have together with deliver the message. As it was God's message, 1 time it was delivered, it could non live taken back. Alas, on his way dorsum downward to earth, the creature either forgot the message, or foolishly blurted it out to an envious animal, such as jackal, who together with so ran to tell the people the opposite of what God had commanded. Henceforth, people were condemned to boot the bucket together with never rising again. As you lot tin perhaps tell, I don't have got a Kamba illustration of the tale, so have got a seem at the Kikuyu myth of the Origin of Death, which is similar.
The starting fourth dimension myth goes like:
"Now at that spot was a fourth dimension when men rose 1 time to a greater extent than as shortly as they died. One hateful solar daytime Ngai sent the chameleon to tell people that they would never die. Ngai wanted people to multiply on the land. He said: 'Go. Tell the people that from straight off 1 they volition non die. They volition bear to a greater extent than children together with the terra firma volition live populated.'
The Chameleon went on his errand but he walked rattling very slowly, treading rattling softly. He did non want the vault of the ground to collapse. Now when he reached the earth, he institute that the people were waiting to hear the message he had brought. And the chameleon started to deliver his message inwards this manner: 'I wa-was-was to-told, I wa-wa-was to to-told...'
And the people waited to hear what the Chameleon wanted to say.
Now as the people were waiting for the message, Ngai sent the swift flight Nyamindigi. The latter came together with institute that the Chameleon had non finished his message together with the bird said:
'What is this you lot are telling the people?'
'I was-was-was-to-to-told, were they non told to boot the bucket together with vanish from the earth?'
And the bird flew away. The Chameleon was left humiliated together with feeling guilty because he did non deliver his message shortly enough. Now from that hateful solar daytime people died together with never returned 1 time to a greater extent than to earth.
When people saw the Chameleon, they mocked together with despised him saying: 'Get sparse together with thinner together with permit me grow fatty together with healthy.'
And the Chameleon constantly grew thinner together with wasted away. The story ends there.
The 2nd myth also goes like:
"It is Riua (Sun) the King of the globe who lives at Kirinyaga who came to ground together with institute the chief's boy dead. The main told the King that expiry had go a groovy job to his people. And Riua the King said: 'Give me a messenger, I volition give him a medicinal pulverization from Kirinyaga. This pulverization volition live set inwards the sack together with when people aroma its smoke, they volition never boot the bucket again.'
The main chose the squirrel together with when the women saw the squirrel dressed upward to go amongst Riua the King, they were jubilant together with ululated: 'Aririririi-ri-i'. The squirrel appreciated amongst Hii-hi! Yiii-hi! together with went off amongst Riua to Kirinyaga.
Now when the squirrel was coming from Kirinyaga, carrying the medicinal powder, he met Mr. Hyena who was also going to Kirinyaga to acquire the same pulverization for his ain personal use. He saw the squirrel together with became jealous. So Mr. Hyena assaulted the squirrel together with threw the pulverization into the swift-flowing river. He together with so went dorsum to earth.
The squirrel was worried; together with so he returned dorsum to Riua, the King, to study what Mr. Hyena had done. Then the King was angry together with said: 'You squirrel, you lot failed inwards a mission entrusted to you lot for the people. With a curse, I accuse you lot to take yourself from the people together with remain forever inwards holes inwards the soil. As for the hyena, he has from straight off on go an enemy of the people'.
The Kamba have got diverse metaphorical phrases for death: to follow the society of one's grandfathers, to go home, to halt snoring, to live fetched or summoned, to empty out the soul, to slumber for e'er together with ever, to dry out up, wither or evaporate, to gain away, to live called, to reject the people, to reject food, to live received or taken away, to render or go back, to terminate, to live finished or end, to have got one's breath come upward to an end, to depart or go, to go where other people have got gone, to leave, forsake or abandon, to collapse, come upward to ruins, to go God's property.
source:http://emmanuelkariuki.hubpages.com/hub/Kamba-people-of-Kenya
http://emmanuelkariuki.hubpages.com/hub/Kamba-people-of-Kenya
Rain Making Beliefs of Akamba People
Rain making dances inwards Republic of Kenya vary over fourth dimension together with place. Akamba rituals, similar rituals of whatever group, alter over fourth dimension inwards that novel elements are added together with obsolete components are removed. The Akamba are known for their use, familiarity, together with noesis of ritual traditions that are interwoven into their society.
Marilyn Silberfein provides a study of pelting performances conducted to deal drought inwards the Kamba urban core of Machakos. Based on her study, the performances were directed to N’gai, the Creator together with Supreme Being, together with Aimu, the spirits of the departed. These spirits were invoked because of their powers to command together with predict rainfall levels. The rainfall ceremonies centered on knowing when to await rain.
In other cases, this human relationship comes from old myths. Paul Kavyu shares his inquiry on pelting prophets prior to the widespread redirection of pelting forecasting to the Ministry of Health. In Kavyu’s study, participants communicated amongst the powerfulness of “Mwathani” together with higher spirits, but they never genuinely knew if the prayers would live answered. For this reason, pelting prophets, called “Athani”, were sought to conduct pelting ceremonies together with sacrifices.
"Two sacrifices are made for rain…When Mutitu Hill is heard roaring belatedly at
night, or early on morn hours, the already dead prophets are asking for a
sacrifice for their friends who give them the prophet’s power. This asking is
made to the living Mwathani or the somebody concerned. After weeks after the
roaring, the somebody living who is concerned has to give someone live for the
request…. The 2nd sacrifice is made inwards all Mathembo inwards the country, to the
spirit who lives inwards ii pools inwards Mutiti Hill…"
These accounts are presented primarily to exhibit some of the older oral narratives together with myths associated amongst pelting inwards Ukambani. These stories together with rites, although non all straight practiced, are memorialized together with embedded into the civilization of the people.
Droughts are viewed as catastrophic moments that require ritual intervention. The ritual procedure for handling misfortunate rainfall is evident inwards historical records. These records signal that the starting fourth dimension task when faced amongst the threat of drought is for the community to get together to sympathize the root cause of the problem. Gerhard Lindblom, inwards his ethnographical study, The Akamba, reported that medicine men inwards Ukambani were oft consulted to assist predict pelting due to the importance of agriculture inwards society, which was cultivated primarily past times women. Lindblom notes the next actions of woman somebody planters when at that spot was a job amongst rainfall:
"At the occurrence of a drought which threatens the harvest, the
women gather together…beating their drums they march from village
to village. Each adult woman who has land, must bring together them…’the wives
have got a coming together the Akamba say."
Lindblom describes a drought intervention ceremony as an eve of dancing together with singing, patch the medicine human being consults amongst the pelting spirits to determine the proper actions to take. The immediate activity of the community speaks to the historical practise of villagers to sympathize the root causes of pelting instability. The lack of pelting is a sign of a spiritual imbalance that the rites together with interventions of the ritual trip the lite fantastic together with magic practiced past times medicine men is designed to correct.
All life crises are the final result of the private or grouping beingness out of harmony amongst man, nature, the spirits, deities, or the ancestors; thus, a key aspect of rituals is restoring residuum inwards a multifariousness of situations. All rituals are conducted through the spiritual leaders, ritual specialists, or medicine workers. The highest spiritual beingness of the Akamba is called Mulunga, “a powerfulness of abstract conception…the creator of all things.
Over the years, pelting making trip the lite fantastic rituals have got persisted inwards Ukambani; however, the rituals go along to adapt. Some of the older practices of women inwards the community, such as gathering from theatre to house, are no longer widespread. Instead, many of the traditional rites, similar pelting making, are conducted past times select community members who engage inwards specific ritual performances. Despite this together with many other modifications of the execution of pelting trip the lite fantastic rituals, what has been retained is the clear objective of the ceremony: to seek spiritual intervention that produces rain.
Rain Dance Ritual Process
There is no single pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual procedure since each ceremony is different together with dependent on the participants, available resources, instant inwards time, together with environmental circumstances. However, at that spot is sufficient information on ritual structure, pelting ceremonies, together with acre analysis to pigment a narrative of the trip the lite fantastic experience. For this study, pelting dances were observed during 2008-2009 acre inquiry inwards Kenya. The dances were performed past times a local Akamba group, Wendo Wa Kavete, from the Kibwezi District, together with a local trip the lite fantastic society inwards Talla, inwards the Kangundo District. Wendo Wa Kavete, similar many others inwards Ukambani, are responsible for remembering together with performing traditional trip the lite fantastic ceremonies inwards the community. The ceremonies recorded inwards Kibwezi were authentic together with a direct reaction to the ongoing drought there.
The pelting trip the lite fantastic transformed the community from an “unhealed” province to a “healed” state. Jean Comaroff, inwards her 1985 study, Body of Power, identifies several distinct ritual processes that are useful together with have got been modified for this analysis of pelting making: summoning the spirits, strengthening, together with healing.28 In add-on to the phases outlined past times Comaroff, based on observation of other ritual forms, at that spot is a demand for an additional phase, “celebration”. All of these phases volition live analyzed inwards the next sections to sympathize the pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual.
Summoning the Spirits
The pelting making rite begins amongst libations together with prayers. At this stage, it is clear that at that spot are different player roles. Unlike many rituals, the pelting making ritual does non have got 1 orchestrator. Instead, the elders, dancers, musicians, together with observers all create upward the ritual experience collectively, which could go along for several days.
The elders serve as the initial dot of contact to the pelting making spirits. Other key participants are the musicians who are trained inwards the precise pelting making rhythms. The dancers’ bodies are the dominant symbol, together with the powerfulness associated amongst the dancers’ movements furnish the necessary unloosen energy to assist invoke the spirits together with healing. The community, inwards this ritual, is the victim; therefore, other observers inwards the ritual serve as the symbolic representation of the community that needs healing, patch simultaneously serving as witnesses to the ceremony.
Furthermore, their presence transmits vital unloosen energy that assists the ritual. The terminal role is that of
the unseen pelting spirit, which may or may non attend, but, as mentioned earlier, is a key forcefulness in
whether or non the community tin await futurity rain.
The libation acts telephone phone the spirits to have the forthcoming rites together with let on the circumstances of the drought. This initial telephone phone varies inwards length together with tin take on many forms. Elders pouring milk libations to the ancestors to invoke the spiritual world. This commences the pelting making trip the lite fantastic ceremony. The duration of the libation is dependent upon the elder’s satisfaction that a suitable prayer together with telephone phone has been initiated. As witnesses, the elders initiated libations, poured milk for the ancestors, together with and so drank from the calabash. They work milk, inwards particular, inwards these ceremonies because the Wakamba sentiment milk as having the properties necessary for to a greater extent than blessings. During the ceremony, only men were allowed to drinkable the milk, showing the continuity of traditional gender roles. Despite modern pressures for the Akamba, men are soundless regarded as authorities together with so leaders inwards of import community matters.
After the opening prayer together with libation, musicians began to play the drums together with other instruments, creating a boring together with synchronized musical rhythm at the same boring tempo together with wheel length. The elderly woman somebody dancers are positioned inwards opposite areas, together with they piece of cake displace into the trip the lite fantastic ritual infinite inwards unison. The spiritual seriousness of the ritual is seen on the faces of participants as they blow whistles together with milk tremble rattles. Dancers amongst their whistles together with rattles during the stage inwards which spirits are summoned. This formation continues until a certainly unloosen energy flat is achieved together with a spiritual line is opened.
Kamba carving
Strengthening
Strengthening is the procedure inwards which participants gain a climatic state. During this process, specific trip the lite fantastic movements are used together with referred to as kusunga or kwina, depending on the specific Ukamba territory. In addition, pelting making dances utilize many symbols. In fact, the
pelting making Kilumi rite is total of symbolic construction together with meaning. Symbolic construction together with work is
the focus of Victor Turner inwards his book, The Forest of Symbols:
"The symbol is the smallest unity of ritual which soundless retains the specific properties of
ritual behavior; it is the ultimate unity of specific construction inwards a ritual context…a symbol
is a thing regarded past times full general consent as naturally typifying or representing or recalling
something past times possession of analogous qualities or past times association inwards fact or thought…the
ritual symbol becomes a factor inwards social action, a positive forcefulness inwards an activity field. The
symbol becomes associated amongst human interests, purposes, ends, together with means, whether
these are explicitly formulated or have got to live inferred from the observed behavior."
Consistent amongst Turner’s description, symbols inwards pelting making rituals are representative of an object, person, place, or thing together with tin live categorized as “dominant symbols” or “instrumental symbols”. The dominant symbols, according to Turner, refer to the value of the ritual or representation of non-empirical beings together with powers.
The dominant symbol of the pelting making ritual is the rolling of the shoulders together with caput locking movements through gestures of the shoulders together with arms. This represents unity together with the pouring downward of rain. This body motion involves women bending over, locking heads amongst other dancers, together with shaking their shoulders together with arms, which, inwards many ways, mimics the pouring of rain. The caput connections are symbolic of the interconnected nature of the environment, community, together with the spirits. The locking procedure is also associated amongst an increased drum tempo that serves as the peak of this strengthening phase. The dancers together with musicians are all inwards a transcended state, giving them power, together with eventually leading to the healing of the community. Judith Hanna attempts to depict this “transcended” province inwards the following:
"Intense, vigorous dancing tin Pb to an altered province of consciousness through brain
moving ridge frequency, adrenalin, together with blood saccharide changes…dance-induced altered states of
consciousness may live perceived as numinous…because motility attracts attending and
trip the lite fantastic is cognitive together with multi-sensory, trip the lite fantastic has the unique potential of going beyond
other arts together with audio-visual media inwards framing, prolonging, or discontinuing
communication together with inwards creating moods, together with divine manifestations."
However, it is the dancers together with musicians that best articulate their experience which is to a greater extent than effectively communicated inwards their expressions. In live observations, the unloosen energy reverberates together with tin live felt inwards the resonance of the drums.
This motion is the climax of the dance, a connectedness amongst the pelting spirit. The arrival of the pelting spirit inwards the ritual is symbolic on several levels: 1) the community tin await pelting together with fertile crop production; 2) the eventual healing together with revitalization of the community which has been afflicted; together with 3) the Akamba ritual was successful together with the community volition live blessed. The absence of the spirit during the ritual agency that the Akamba tin await hard times; this commonly agency the brusque term together with symbolic expiry of the community.
According to Tribhuwan, “As a symbolic instrument, a somebody may work his body as a agency of communication.” The body, through dance, represents construction together with residuum inwards the composition together with positioning of the participants, together with harmony, as depicted amongst its human relationship to the drums, the singing, together with unity amongst the other dancers. “Dance both encodes together with decodes myth together with ritual.” For example, before together with shortly after the presence of the pelting spirit, dancers mimic a province of possession that is symbolic of the coming of the spirit together with the presence of the spirit. Evan Zuesse, inwards his study of trip the lite fantastic rituals, claims that “…the body gesture becomes a vehicle for conveying together with embodying the highest symbolic truths.” Music, song, together with motion allow the body, as a symbolic structure, to alter together with take on different meanings throughout the ritual.
Symbols are embedded throughout the pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual together with have got to live understood inwards the context
of the people during a specific fourth dimension because pregnant tin also alter over time. “A symbol by
Definition is non what it represents…The component of symbols is to human activity as a rallying dot for
pregnant together with through this, the take heed connects several meanings.”
During the strengthening phase, diverse instruments play different aspects of the rhythm, providing a consummate fullness. Drums together with other processional instruments are key aspects of all divination, non exactly pelting making. Paul Kavyu, inwards his handling of Akamba music, describes it as less melodic together with to a greater extent than idiophonic. The dancers complement this music past times responding amongst to a greater extent than intense dancing. Movements are together with so lodged inside intricate details of the rhythm. The harmony of all activities associated amongst this aspect of the ritual is profound. The dancers engage inwards all sorts of gestures that also imply order. The symbolic movements of the arms going upward together with downward stand upward for balance. Likewise, the musicians stand upward for a residuum inwards their melodies.
The unison together with intensity of the stage continues until the musical rhythm completely drops together with moves
into a healing phase.
Healing
The healing stage marks the slowdown together with recovery period. Additional symbols are nowadays during this phase. Turner labels certainly symbols as instrumental symbols because they are connected to the overall goal of the ritual. The instrumental symbols used inwards Akamba pelting making rites vary. For example, color is symbolic, together with the dancers have on black, white, together with reddish during these ceremonies. Turner views the therapeutic nature of the color white as “strength, life, health, making visible, sweeping clean, together with washing impurities from oneself.” The dancers together with musicians have on white to symbolize the desired province of practiced health. Red is associated amongst powerfulness together with life. According to Turner, the color dark symbolizes impurities, suffering, together with misfortune. Black is symbolic of the initial problematic province of the community, which aims to transition into a pure, healed, together with prosperous state. Thus, the colors symbolically stand upward for the therapeutic conversion taking identify during this ritual phase.
During the healing aspect of the ritual, musicians together with dancers go along to harmonize together with hold back for the healing powerfulness of the spirit.49 True healing tin only live achieved past times the arrival of the pelting spirit which may acquire inwards in the shape of a possessed dancer or other participant. At this dot inwards the ritual, a novel atmosphere arises, 1 of anticipation. This is followed past times boring chanting together with singing amongst the dancers also internalizing the boring musical rhythm through their body together with arm use. Stillness is also present, and, inwards some cases, at that spot is prayer. However, the ultimate goal is spiritual presence together with healing. Hanna states, “In manifesting divinity, trip the lite fantastic may live both a agency together with an end…Dance may live a medium to gain such a goal as inviting a deity to possess the performer, detaching the private from the ground to go united amongst God.”
The bodies of the dancers go vessels symbolizing the forthcoming presence of the pelting trip the lite fantastic spirit. Within minutes, spirits acquire inwards in the ritual infinite dancing together with assessing the situation. In the instance of favor, the community is healed, moved from the old province to 1 of balance. The pelting spirit allows the healing of the entire community amongst the ultimate goal of generating rain.
Celebration
The celebration stage was added to stand upward for the closure of a positive pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual ceremony. With the eventual revitalization of the environs amongst rain, no affair when it arrives, the entire community celebrates. Turner describes this terminal stage as 1 where the passage is complete, “The ritual subject, private or corporate, is inwards a relatively stable province 1 time to a greater extent than and, past times virtue of this, has rights together with obligations…he is expected to deport inwards accordance amongst certainly customary norms together with ethical standards.”
The celebration stage represents the destination of the ritual together with appreciation of favorable results. Again, it is of import to greenback that the pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual is symbolic on ii levels. It represents the healing of the private together with the community, together with it represents futurity fertility inwards crop production. At this point, the community commonly sings, dances, together with celebrates the arrival or the coming of the rain. Many may interrogation the human relationship betwixt the pelting making trip the lite fantastic ceremonies together with the arrival of rain, but the dot is as good fluid to evidence together with irrelevant. What matters is what the Akamba think they
accomplished together with their organized religious belief inwards their prayers, songs, movements, together with drums to convey forth rain.
Rain Dance Socio-Cultural Implications
Rain trip the lite fantastic rituals inwards Republic of Kenya let on some rattling of import socio-cultural functions that may live applied to rituals inwards general. There are also functions that are rattling specific to the pelting ritual.
The functions identified volition live framed against the analysis of Tribhuwan who consolidated ritual functions from some of the top scholars on the topic. (1) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic presents an first-class illustration of how trip the lite fantastic fosters cohesion together with community togetherness. The drought created a crisis inwards which the community needed to piece of work together. (2) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual was instrumental inwards the motion of the community from a province of affliction to a province of healing. The ritual symbolically represented the universal motion of the community from a province of sickness to 1 of practiced wellness together with practiced standing. (3) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual shows spiritual intervention. Therefore, rituals tin live applied to resolve conflict inwards the society. (4) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual expresses Akamba socio-cultural beliefs together with meanings of the society.
Symbolically, it is clear that the Akamba view a connectedness betwixt the body, drumming, singing,
prayer, together with artifacts similar the calabash used to pour the milk libations, together with spirits. (5) The rain
making trip the lite fantastic ritual also serves as an educational tool that helps to enforce together with retain sociocultural
practices. In the dance, participants assist educate observers on traditions together with the role of ancestors. The rattling human activity of ritual practise ensures a certainly flat of continuity together with memory. The overall ritual actions together with construction highlight what is culturally valuable to the society
Conclusion
The Kilumi pelting dance, shows the complexity of treating the multiple variables inside Black dance. Rain dances stand upward for a rattling conscious, current, together with pertinent environmental management strategy that speaks to the vibrant together with dynamic nature of African culture. Rain trip the lite fantastic making is a ritual procedure designed to restore monastic enjoin to the natural world together with community. The trip the lite fantastic is conducted to admit the presence of the community’s unnatural province inwards the environs and, to a greater extent than importantly, to spiritually cleanse together with restore.
Rain dances are a component of a much larger societal monastic enjoin together with human relationship that connects rhythm, body
movements, the individual, community, environment, spiritual world, together with God. These relationships are interwoven together with complex. The trip the lite fantastic is an elaborate praise amongst prayer, libation, together with communion amongst the spiritual world together with God. The reciprocal human relationship betwixt prayers, sacrifices, together with blessings has been a long embedded practise for living inwards peace, together with it is still
relevant inwards managing limited resources.58 The ceremonies together with offerings to spirits resulted inwards the
Aimu (Ancestors), Mulunga,59 together with other spirits approbation Kenyan societies amongst stability together with gifts
(i.e. food, fertility, prosperity). The powerfulness to live inwards peace together with inwards residuum amongst the environment
over long periods of fourth dimension is evidence of a civilized together with harmonious society.
The study of pelting making dances opens new, powerful, together with a much needed window to the existing civilization together with past, as traditional songs, prayers, rhythms, movement, symbols, together with meanings piece of work together to portion how communities respond to life crises similar drought. Rain dances are non static rituals of an ancient past, but are, instead, contemporary acts invoked to respond to rattling existent modern problems similar misfortunate rainfall together with threats of starvation. In this study, nosotros have got seen that pelting making dances are soundless relevant together with integral to Kenyan society. The presence of pelting making trip the lite fantastic rituals contradicts notions that Kenyans have got completely disregarded the traditions of their ancestors, commonly attributed to colonized together with enslaved African people. Although at that spot are many rituals that have got been abandoned, those that remain be because they fill upward a void from Western structures. In these cases, rituals aim to address the spiritual dimension of problems together with issues that are oft neglected inwards Western approaches. In Kenya, this is most evident inwards areas associated amongst scientific discipline together with technology.
Kamba tribe human being Ken wa Maria
Source:http://www.jpanafrican.com/docs/vol4no6/4.6-10KilumiRain.pdf
As early on as the 1920s, the British authorities was aware of over-grazing of the Kamba Machakos reserve. In 1929 the Agricultural Department reported that the Kamba people were grazing unopen to 245,000 cows on the reserve, though the terra firma could only back upward nigh 53,400. Colin Maher, the government’s main soil conservation officer, described the poverty of the Kamba on the Machakos reserve together with attributed it to overgrazing.
Between 1929 together with 1934, the Agricultural Commission together with Carter Land Commission recommended destocking the terra firma (decreasing the number of cattle an private could hold). The colonial authorities submitted proposals to the Machakos Local Native Council to curb the effects of overgrazing.
The Kamba people accepted the colonial government’s subsequent policies of trenching, hillside terracing, together with planting of napier grass together with sisal trees amongst resentment. In 1938, the colonial authorities influenced the Liebegs theatre to opened upward a meat-canning manufacturing flora inwards the vicinity of the Machakos reserve. Since Liebegs built the manufacturing flora to procedure 70,000 cattle per twelvemonth together with had a break-even dot of 40,000 cattle, the conclusion past times the colonial authorities to invite the theatre implied that, reverse to what tradition suggested, the Kamba people would live willing to sell their cattle inwards large quantities.
The governor ordered that Liebegs live provided amongst cattle, suggestive of his intents to commence destocking on the Machakos reserve. The Kamba people perceived this as a direct imposition on their way of life, together with they mobilized against the colonial authorities to resist it.
In March 1938, the Kamba sent a telegram to the Colonial Office expressing their opposition to mandatory destocking. In May, however, Republic of Kenya Governor Robert Brooke-Popham launched the coercive destocking procedure inwards the Machakos reserve.
The procedure began amongst surveys of stock, followed past times meetings amongst Kamba elders defining the number of stock to live held past times each private Kamba community fellow member together with requiring that these live branded. Excess stock were together with so required to live sold to private dealers, such as Liebegs, or would live confiscated past times the government.
The colonial authorities successfully launched its projection together with past times July 1938 to a greater extent than than 20,000 total cattle had been sold. The Kamba people, however, boycotted meetings inwards which the stock quotas would live allocated. They sent a 2nd telegram to the Colonial Offices as good as a petition against the practice.
Muindi Mbingu (Samuel Muindi), Elijah Kavulu, Isaac Mwalonzi, together with Simon Kioko used their educated background together with agreement of opposition movements to organize their beau Kamba people through informal meetings inwards opposition to the colonial destocking mandate. The organizers publicized their dissent through the Kikuyu Central Association inwards Nairobi, letters to Kenyan politicians, together with through the Kikuyu nationalist publication Muiguithania.
Based inwards London, Jomo Kenyatta of the Kikuyu Central Association served as an ally to their cause past times writing letters nigh Kamba grievances to the paper Manchester Guardian. Kenyatta spread give-and-take of the Kamba cause to the League against Imperialism, the Union of Democratic Control, the Fabians, together with the Workers’ Educational Association. He garnered the back upward of Norman Leys together with William Macmillan past times writing inwards favor of the Kamba position. Another ally, Isher Dass, spoke nigh the Kamba’s instance to the Republic of Kenya Legislative Council.
Samuel Kivuitu- old Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Republic of Kenya was from Kamba tribe
When the colonial officials arrived at Iveti (a locality inside the Machakos reserve), the Kamba people at that spot refused to have got their livestock branded. To intimidate the Kamba people into subjugation, authorities officials seized 2,500 Kamba cattle together with grazed them exterior of the reserve.
Kitili Mwendwa; The First African Chief Justice of indepence Republic of Kenya is a Kamba tribe man
The Kamba people, inwards all but 1 case, did non violently resist the taking of their cattle. The officials stated that they would only render a moo-cow to its possessor if the possessor agreed to create it. The Kamba stockholders refused to comply amongst the officials’ demands.
This aggressive tactic past times the authorities only fostered to a greater extent than back upward for the Kamba organizers’ drive to halt the destocking. Inspired past times the Kikuyu Central Association, they formed the Ukamba Members Association. Some members explained their conclusion to bring together the Ukamba Members Association amongst their indignation at the unjust seizure of wealth. Others expressed suspicion that the authorities sought to undermine the Kamba provisioning economy, so that they would live forced to labor on the European settlers’ farms.
Residents of Machakos together with elsewhere expressed their back upward past times shunning those who spoke inwards favor of the government’s management program.
Prof Makau W. Mutua, old cabinet minister, old Dean of Law Faculty University Of Nairobi together with electrical current Governor Makueni is from Kamba tribe inwards Kenya
Leaders of the Ukamba Members Association requested a coming together amongst the governor after the cattle raid inwards Iveti but the governor refused. They together with so organized a march of 2,000 people. These Kamba people walked to Nairobi where they remained for 6 weeks until the governor agreed to encounter amongst them inwards Machakos.
The Kamba maintained a respectful tone, fifty-fifty during sit-ins inwards Nairobi. Their activity was covered past times newspapers inwards Britain: The Times, Telegraph, together with the Yorkshire Post, together with through correspondence columns inwards the Manchester Guardian.
In Machakos on 25 August 1938 the Governor announced the destination of compulsory sales of stock. However, he stated that the destocking would continue, including the quotas for private ownership.
Dr Willy Mutunga, electrical current Chief Justice of Republic of Kenya is an ethnic Kamba man
In response to the Kamba’s refusal to sell their stock, a frustrated authorities official inwards September expressed his frustration that the Kamba refused fifty-fifty to negotiate amongst officials.
On 4 Oct the authorities arrested Muindi Mbingu, the most prominent leader of the Ukamba Members Association together with deported him to Lamu. The people continued to boycott voluntary cattle sales.
The government, acting inwards line amongst the Attorney General’s legal advice, decided to render the cattle to the Kamba people; if they had non been claimed together with branded inside a week, to confiscate them.
This computer program was inwards identify through 1 Dec 1938, but was non carried through.
Instead, the authorities returned the seized cattle without farther demands.
The colonial authorities expressed its intentions to go along amongst its terra firma conservation piece of work through educational activity together with voluntary management past times land-owners.
It is possible that the destocking computer program was non carried through for fright of a vehement Kamba uprising. The authorities noticed increased alliance betwixt the Ukamba Members Association together with the Kikuyu Central Association, as good as loyalty toward the Kamba amidst authorities police draw together with ground forces ranks. Following the destination of mandatory destocking, some Ukamba Members Association branches dissolved. Generally, though, the Ukamba Members Association maintained strong support, together with cultivated these seeds of political engagement for a after nationalist movement.
source;
Kamba farmers wedding ceremony their java farm
Today, the Akamba are oft institute engaged inwards different professions: some are agriculturalists, others are traders, patch others have got taken upward formal jobs. Barter merchandise amongst the Kikuyu, Maasai, Meru together with Embu people inwards the interior together with the Mijikenda together with Arab people of the coast was also practised past times the Akamba who straddled the eastern plains of Kenya.
Kamba carvings. woodworkersjournal.com
Over time, the Akamba extended their commercial activity together with wielded economical command across the primal component of the terra firma that was after to live known as Republic of Kenya (from the Kikamba, 'Kiinyaa', pregnant 'the Ostrich Country'), from the Indian Ocean inwards the E to Lake Victoria inwards the west, together with all the way upward to Lake Turkana on the northern frontier. The Akamba traded inwards locally-produced goods such as cane beer, ivory, brass amulets, tools together with weapons, millet, together with cattle. The nutrient obtained from trading helped offset shortages caused past times droughts together with famines.
Kamba Tribe Decorative Gourd Bowl Set of 2 (Kenya
They also traded inwards medicinal products known as 'Miti' (literally: plants), made from diverse parts of the numerous medicinal plants institute on the Southeast African plains. The Akamba are soundless known for their fine piece of work inwards wood carving, basketry together with pottery. Their artistic inclination is evidenced inwards the sculpture piece of work that is on display inwards many arts and crafts shops together with galleries inwards the major cities together with towns of Kenya.
Kamba wood works
Kamba Society
Although a large component of Kamba civilization has go westernized, together with the large towns together with villages have got greatly increased inwards number (the Kamba population itself is straight off v times larger than it was inwards the 1930s), the traditional pattern of theatre unit of measurement homesteads persists, together with is 1 of the few traditional social structures to have got survived the twentieth century. Other forms of social together with political structures - such as clans, councils of elders, together with age-sets - straight off appear to live primarily historical, together with are no longer inwards use.
Family: In Akamba culture, the theatre unit of measurement (Musyi) plays a primal role inwards the community. The Akamba extended theatre unit of measurement or clan is called mbai. The man, who is the caput of the family, is commonly engaged inwards an economical activity pop amidst the community similar trading, hunting, cattle-herding or farming. He is known as Nau, Tata, or Asa.
The woman, whatever her husband's occupation, works on her plot of land, which she is given upon joining her husband's household. She supplies the volume of the nutrient consumed past times her family. She grows maize, millet, sugariness potatoes, pumpkin, beans, dove peas, greens, arrow root, cassava, together with yam inwards cooler regions similar Kangundo, Kilungu together with Mbooni. It is the mother's role to convey upward the children. Even children that have got grown upward into adults are expected to never contradict the mother's wishes. The woman parent is known as Mwaitu ('our One').
Very petty distinction is made betwixt one's children together with nieces together with nephews. They address their maternal uncle as naimiwa together with maternal aunts as mwendya together with for their paternal uncle together with aunt as mwendw'au. They address their paternal cousins as wa-asa or wa'ia (for men is mwanaasa or mwanaa'ia, together with for women is mwiitu wa'asa or mwiitu wa'ia), together with the maternal cousins (mother's side) as wa mwendya (for men mwanaa mwendya; for women mwiitu wa mwendya). Children oft displace from 1 household to some other amongst ease, together with are made to experience at dwelling theatre past times their aunts together with uncles who, patch inwards accuse of their nephews/nieces, are their de facto parents.
Grandparents (Susu or Usua (grandmother), Umau or Umaa (grandfather)) assist amongst the less strenuous chores around the home, such as rope-making, tanning leather, carving of beehives, three-legged wooden stools, cleaning together with decorating calabashes, making bows together with arrows, etc. Older women go along to piece of work the land, as this is seen as a source of independence together with economical security. They also send out merchandise inwards the local markets, though non exclusively. In the modern Akamba family, the women, peculiarly inwards the urban regions, practise professions such as teaching, law, medicine, nursing, secretarial work, management, tailoring together with other duties inwards accordance amongst Kenya's socioeconomic evolution.
Prof Makau W. Mutua, old cabinet minister, old Dean of Law Faculty University Of Nairobi together with electrical current Governor Makueni is from Kamba tribe inwards Kenya
Age-Sets: Individuals were organized inwards age-sets, but dissimilar the Kikuyu, Embu, Mbeere together with Chuka, these were non based on initiation.
Men together with women of the grade of elders (atumia) formed political district councils that governed several utui. They also performed the component of priests, acting as ceremonial intermediaries betwixt the living together with God or the spirit-ancestors.
Clans: The Kamba were originally grouped into some 25 dispersed patrilineal clans (utui) of varying size, which were oft mutually hostile. The Akamba have got xiv major clans together with xi little clans. This makes a total of 25 clans. When a theatre unit of measurement grows into a clan, it is natural that the clan grows together with separates into several clans. This did gain off to the Akamba.
Their social together with territorial boundaries were flexible, together with the scheme seems to a greater extent than to have got been a response to fluid geographical groupings rather than strictly determined past times ancestry or tradition. There seem to have got been few if whatever institutions of centralized political authority, although inwards times of external threat, armed services activity could live coordinated across the whole tribe.
Clan meetings were called mbai, together with through them political matters that affected the whole tribe were decided. The British abolished the scheme inwards the nineteenth century, imposing appointed leaders instead. Nowadays, elections together with modern politics are the usual source of political power.
Below is a listing of the twenty-five clans of the Akamba.
The xiv Major Clans include: Akanga, Aketdini, Aketutu, Ambuane, Amoei, Amoieni, Amotei – trappers, Anzaone, Anzio, Asii, Atangoa, Atui – blacksmiths, Eembe together with Ethanga.
The xi Minor Clans are: Adine, Akeimei, Akuu, Amena, Amokabu, Amomone, Amooi, Amouti, Anilo, Aoani, Athonzo
Marriage (Ntheo): The Akmaba have got deep-rooted traditions, which are practiced peculiarly inwards their matrimony customs. Under the Kamba customs, during a Kamba wedding, a human being must exhibit his honor for the bride’s theatre unit of measurement past times starting fourth dimension acknowledging that their immature adult woman has been brought upward good together with is so of groovy worth.
Before a matrimony ceremony is conducted, the groom (with his kin) must throw an of import political party popularly referred to as Ntheo. Ntheo is genuinely the minimum requirement that demonstrates the bride officially belongs to the human being she is engaged to.
In instance the couples are inwards a "come-we-stay" arrangement, pregnant at that spot was no advance ceremony before they began living as hubby together with wife, the entire matrimony is deemed zero together with void nether the Kamba customary law.
As a result, the adult woman inwards the matrimony is considered an illegitimate married adult woman together with the human being illegitimate husband. If, together with God forbid, a adult woman whose hubby is yet to throw the ntheo political party to her (bride`€™s) kin dies, she cannot live buried past times her hubby no affair how long she had stayed amongst him. And if the hubby finds it of import to bury the remains of his married adult woman at his home, he has to send out the ntheo ceremony before the burial.
An ordinary ntheo ceremony involve at to the lowest degree 3 goats, 1 of which must live a he-goat that is un-castrated. However, you lot may have got to a greater extent than than 3 goats but the dominion is that the number of the animals to live presented to the bride`s theatre unit of measurement for the purpose of ntheo must add together upward to an strange number. This agency the goats may live five, seven, ix together with so on but non 4 or six!
During this ceremony, only a handful unopen relatives of both sides of families are involved. The he-goat is together with so slaughtered past times the groom, or alternatively a blood brother to the groom. It is believed that as shortly as blood of the he-goat spills on the ground, the bride becomes "officially owned" past times the groom that rattling moment. But it does non destination there. H5N1 piece of soft meat popularly known as kikonde, extracted from the slaughtered caprine animal is given to both the bride together with groom, who must eat at to the lowest degree a piece each as "an oath" that they volition maintain the covenant of their marriage.
In instance ntheo ceremony is carried out before a matrimony ceremony similar it is the instance inwards most Christian marriages, the bride is deemed to already "lawfully" belong to her fiance nether Kamba customary law. And fifty-fifty if at that spot is no church building ceremony the ii are deemed married.
Once nutrient is served to those nowadays at the ceremony, women together with children are issued amongst soft drinks patch men who are considered mature are served amongst Kaluvu, the Kamba traditional beer. It is of import to greenback it is the groom`s responsibleness to ensure both types of drinks are made available inwards acceptable character together with quantity. Once the ntheo ceremony is done, the procedure of "€˜buying a wife"€™ begins at that spot together with then. The bride`s kin are to nowadays the numerous items the bride`s theatre unit of measurement volition require as dowry.
Kamba tribes man, Mwendwa Kitili dancing amongst his wife. He was Kenya's youngest together with starting fourth dimension African Chief Justice
However, these items may live paid through installments that are commonly negotiated at friendly footing past times the ii sides of the families. Dowry is what is popularly referred to as ngasya. Coming on the top of the listing of items for ngasya are 48 goats, which must eventually live delivered to the bride̢۪s family. This means, for instance, if the groom used 3 goats for the ntheo ceremony, he is left amongst an outstanding residuum of 45 goats.
Also inwards the listing of dowry items are ii drums of dear referred to as Ithembe, ii blankets as good as ii bed sheets. These may live issued physically or monetary compensation offered against each item. Another interesting item that features prominently inwards the listing of dowry items is a large caprine animal called ndua itaa brought to the bride`s parents. This 1 is supposed to signify that the bed that belonged to the bride patch at her parents`€™ dwelling theatre has straight off been bought past times the groom`s family. To crown the marriage, the groom is also expected to throw yet some other mega political party to the in-laws, together with this fourth dimension the entire hamlet is invited to feast. H5N1 huge, castrated bull is slaughtered together with friends together with neighbours are invited for a ceremony dubbed ilute. During this ceremony, the bride is showered amongst gifts past times members of her kin together with friends alike, which she may take to her matrimonial home. Divorce: But what if the worst happens together with the groom intends to divorce his wife? The groom volition have got to incur some other terms again! Under Kamba tradition, the groom (together amongst his parents) must take ii goats, 1 manlike somebody together with some other woman somebody called mbui sya maleo (goats of divorce) to the bride`s family. The groom`s theatre unit of measurement may opt to claim all what they incurred inwards dowry payments after "deporting" the bride to her parents` home, or exactly forget nigh it altogether!
Childbirth: During the lastly 3 months of her pregnancy, the expectant woman parent was also forbidden to eat fat, beans, together with the meat of animals killed amongst poisoned arrows. In addition, she ate a special sort of ground institute on termite hills (termitariums) or on trees. This ground is starting fourth dimension chewed past times termites, together with so deposited on trees together with grass, or piled upward to shape a mound. When eaten, such 'earth' strengthens the body of the child.
Before giving birth, all weapons together with Fe articles were removed from the theatre of the expectant mother, as it was believed that Fe articles attracted lightning (both, 1 mightiness presume, physical together with 'spiritual', the latter inwards the shape of evil spirits).
When a kid is born, the parents slaughter a caprine animal or bull on the 3rd day. Many people come upward to feast together with rejoice amongst the family, together with women who have got borne children acquire together to give a call to the child. This is known as 'the call of ngima', ngima beingness the main dish prepared for the occasion.
On the 4th day, the manlike somebody parent hangs an Fe necklace on the child's neck, after which it is regarded as a total human beingness together with as having lost contact amongst the spirit world. Before that, a kid is regarded as an 'object' belonging to the spirits (kiimu), together with if it should boot the bucket before the naming ceremony, the woman parent becomes ritually dirty together with must live cleansed.
During the nighttime next the naming, the parents perform ritual sexual intercourse, which is the seal of the child's separation from the spirits together with the living-dead, together with its integration into the society of human beings.
Circumcision together with clitoridectomy: Circumcision together with clitoridectomy remain of import amidst the Kamba, together with through them a kid attains adulthood. In some parts at that spot are ii separate stages: the "small" ceremony (nzaikonini), which occurs when the kid is betwixt 4 together with v years old together with the "big" ceremony (nzaikoneni), which occurs when the kid reaches puberty together with is a to a greater extent than prolonged catamenia of initiation.
Female circumcision, which was officially banned past times the Kenyan authorities inwards 1981, is soundless widely practised.
Naming together with Akamba names
Naming of children is an of import aspect of the Akamba people. The starting fourth dimension 4 children, ii boys together with ii girls, are named after the grandparents on both sides of the family. The starting fourth dimension man child is named after the paternal granddad together with the 2nd after the maternal grandfather. Girls are similarly named. Because of the honor that the Kamba people discover betwixt the varied relationships, at that spot are people amongst whom they cannot utter inwards "first name" terms.
The manlike somebody parent together with the woman parent in-law on the husband's side, for instance, tin never address their immature adult woman in-law past times her starting fourth dimension name. Neither tin she address them past times their starting fourth dimension names. Yet she has to call her children after them. To solve this problem, a scheme of naming is adopted that gave names which were descriptive of the character or career of the grandparents. Therefore, when a adult woman is married into a family, she is given a theatre unit of measurement call (some sort of baptismal name), such as "Syomunyithya/ng'a Mutunga," that is, "she who is to live the woman parent of Munyithya/Mutunga."
Her starting fourth dimension boy is to live called past times this name. This call Munyithya was descriptive of certainly qualities of the paternal granddad or of his career. Thus, when she is calling her son, she would indeed live calling her manlike somebody parent in-law, but at the same fourth dimension strictly observing the cultural law of never addressing her in-laws past times their starting fourth dimension names.
After these 4 children are named, whose names were to a greater extent than or less predetermined, other children could live given whatever other names, sometimes after other relatives together with / or theatre unit of measurement friends on both sides of the family. Occasionally, children were given names that were descriptive of the circumstances nether which they were born:
*"Nduku" (girl) together with "Mutuku" (boy) pregnant born at night,
*"Kioko" (boy) born inwards the morning,
*"Mumbua/Syombua" (girl)and "Wambua" (boy) for the fourth dimension of rain,
*"Wayua" (girl) for the fourth dimension of famine,
*"Makau" (boy) for the fourth dimension of war,
*"Musyoka/Kasyuko/Musyoki" (boy) together with "Kasyoka/Kasyoki" (girl) as a re-incarnation of a dead theatre unit of measurement member,
*"Mutua" (boy) together with "Mutuo/Mwikali" (girl)as indicative of the long duration the parents had waited for this child, or a lengthy catamenia of gestation.
Children were also given affectionate names as expressions of what their parents wished them to live inwards life. Such names would live like
*"Mutongoi" (leader),
*"Musili" (judge),
*"Muthui" (the rich one),
*"Ngumbau" (hero, the brave one).
Of course, some of these names could live only expressive of the qualities displayed past times the human being or adult woman after whom they were named. Very rarely, a man child may live given the call "Musumbi" (meaning "king"). I say rattling rarely because the Kamba people did non utter much inwards terms of royalty; they did non have got a definite monarchical system. They were ruled past times a council of elders called kingole. There is a prophecy of a man, who traces his ancestry to where the Sun sets (west) (in the nowadays hateful solar daytime county of Kitui) who volition bear this name.
H5N1 immature adult woman could live called "Mumbe" pregnant beautiful. Wild creature names similar Nzoka (snake), Mbiti (hyena), Mbuku (hare), Munyambu (lion), or Mbiwa (fox); or domesticated creature names similar Ngiti (dog), Ng'ombe (cow), or Nguku (chicken), were given to children born of mothers who started past times giving stillbirths. This was done to wishing away the bad omen together with allow the novel kid to survive. Sometimes the names were used to save the practiced names for after children. There was a belief that a woman's after children had a meliorate take a opportunity of surviving than her starting fourth dimension ones.
Ethnic Kamba man child from Kiongwe hamlet inwards Kenya
Religious Belief
The Akamba believe inwards a monotheistic, invisible together with transcendental God, Ngai or Mulungu, who lives upward inwards the sky (yayayani or ituni). Another venerable call for God is Asa (the strong Lord or the Father). He is also known as Ngai Mumbi (God the creator, fashioner or maker), na Mwatuangi (God the 'distributor' or 'cleaver', from the human human activity of slicing meat amongst a knife or splitting wood amongst an axe), together with Mlungu ('creator'), which is the call most commonly used inwards East Africa for the creator God, together with exists as far S as the Zambesi of Zambia.
Ngai or Mlungu is perceived as the omnipotent Creator of life on earth, Protector together with as a merciful, if distant, entity. The Kamba say that God does to them only what is good, so they have got no argue to complain. He protects people, together with is known as both 'the God of comfort' together with 'the Rain Giver' (rain is sometimes called the 'saliva of God', together with for this argue to spit on something (such as a child) is a symbol of groovy blessing).
At planting time, the Kamba inquire God to bless their seeds together with their piece of work on the fields, together with as a God of consolation together with sustenance, He intervenes when human assist is boring or ineffective.
The Kamba consider the heavens together with the ground to live the Father's 'equal-sized bowls': they are his belongings both past times creation together with rights of ownership; together with they comprise his belongings, including livestock, which he lowered from the sky together with gave (perhaps 'lent' is to a greater extent than correct) to the Kamba.
The traditional Akamba perceive the spirits (kiimu) together with spirits of their departed ones, the Aimu or Maimu, as the intercessors betwixt themselves together with Ngai Mulungu. They are remembered inwards theatre unit of measurement rituals together with offerings / libations at private altars.
Spirits (Kiimu): It is said that some spirits were created as such past times God, whilst others were 1 time human beings: the spirits of deceased ancestors, who are also known as the 'living-dead'. God controls them together with sometimes sends them as his messengers. Some are friendly together with benevolent, others are malevolent, but the bulk are 'neutral' or both 'good together with evil', similar human beings.
Nonetheless, inwards traditional life, families are careful to create libation of beer (uki), milk or water, together with to give bits of nutrient to the living-dead, inwards monastic enjoin to appease the ones that may wishing to do damage to the living.
Some diviners together with medicine-men have instruction through dreams or appearance of the spirits together with the living-dead, concerning diagnosis, handling together with prevention of diseases, although when healing comes, it is oft attributed to God, fifty-fifty if medical agents (or spirits) may have got played a component inwards the healing process. After recovery from a serious illness, the Kamba say 'Ah, if it were non for God's help, I/he would live dead past times now!'.
Spirit possession past times both the spirits together with the living-dead is commonly reported, though less straight off than inwards previous years. Around the plow of this century, at that spot was an 'outbreak' of spirit possession inwards the southern component of the country, when the phenomenon 'swept through the communities similar an epidemic'. It is believed that some women have got spirit 'husbands' who cause them to go pregnant.
H5N1 considerable number of people soundless study seeing spirits together with the living-dead, both lone as individuals together with inwards groups amongst other men or women. They are commonly spotted along hillsides or inwards river beds. In such places, their lights are seen at night, their cattle heard mooing or their children crying. Mbiti, the groovy African traditional religious scholar mentions ii such experiences, as recounted past times ii pastor friends of his:
"One of them was walking dwelling theatre from schoolhouse amongst a beau schoolboy inwards the evening. They had to cross a stream, on the other side of which was a hill. As they approached this stream, they saw lights on the loma inwards forepart of them, where otherwise nobody lived. My friend asked his companion what that was, together with he told him non to fright but that it was a sack from the spirits. They had to go on the side of the hill, together with my friend was getting frightened. His companion told him that he had seen such fires before, together with that both of them had only to sing Christian hymns together with at that spot would live no danger to them. So they walked on singing, together with as they went past times the hill, the spirits began tossing stones at them. Some of the stones went rolling upward to where the ii boys were walking, but did non striking them.
As the immature men were leaving this hill, they saw a sack circular which were shadowy figures which my friend's companion told him were the spirits themselves.
Some of the spirits were striking others amongst whips together with asking them, 'Why did you lot non striking those boys?', 'Why did you lot non striking them?' The ii immature men could hear some of the spirits crying from the beating which they received, but did non hear what argue they gave for non hitting the boys amongst stones."
He cited some other example:
"The other pastor told me that when he was nigh twenty, he went amongst several other immature men into a wood to collect dear from the bark of a withered tree. The dear was made past times little insects which do non sting, together with which are institute inwards different parts of the country. The identify was far away from the villages. When they reached the tree, he climbed upward inwards monastic enjoin to cutting opened upward the barks together with the torso of the tree. While upward on the tree, he all of a precipitous heard whistling as if from shepherds together with herdsmen. He stopped hitting the tree. The grouping listened inwards silence. They heard clearly the whistling together with the sound of cattle, sheep together with goats, coming from the wood towards where they were collecting honey. The sound together with vocalism grew louder as the spirits drew nearer, together with the immature men realized that shortly the spirits would gain them. Since people do non graze animals inwards forests but only inwards plains, together with since the identify was as good far from the villages for men to drive cattle through here, the immature men decided that only the spirits could mayhap live approaching them. They looked inwards the management from which the sound came, but saw nobody, yet whatever made that sound was getting nearer together with nearer to them. So the men decided to abandon their dear together with flee for their lives. They never returned to that surface area again."
Sacrifice: The Kamba create sacrifices on groovy occasions, such as at the rites of passage, planting time, before crops ripen, at the harvest of the starting fourth dimension fruits, at the ceremony of purifying a hamlet after an epidemic, together with most of all when the rains neglect or delay. They work oxen, sheep or goats of 1 colour, together with inwards the instance of severe drought they formerly sacrificed a kid which they buried live inwards a shrine.
The shrines themselves are unobtrusive, traditionally beingness wood clearings containing either a large or otherwise sacred tree (such as the fig tree), or other notable natural objects, such as unusually smooth or polished bounders. The trees may non live cutting down, together with the shrines are regarded as a sanctuary for animals together with humans alike (including criminals, if they dare acquire inwards them - the fright of reprisal from spirits is great). The thought is similar to the sacred kayas of the Mijikenda, together with the sacred groves of the Embu together with Mbeere.
Kamba woman
Proverbs together with Riddles
1. Wikuma wilika. Despite your bark, you'll live eaten! It agency similar braggarts, cowardly dogs bark a lot. Prowling leopards easily spot together with eat them.
2. U wi kivetani nduthekaa ula wi iko. (One inwards the woodpile does non express joy at 1 inwards the fire). It agency don't laugh! You may live next.
3. Too umanthaa na awe. (Only a medicine human being gets rich past times sleeping). it agency amongst coin inwards hand, clients volition wake him up.
4. Nguli syonthe itiania musoani. (All monkeys cannot hang on 1 branch). It agency people differ
5. Ki kitungaa mutumia ndithya ndakisi. (An old human being doesn't know what makes him herd again) It agency old Kamba men rarely herded; their sons together with grandsons did.
Kamba tibe`s human being Benson Masya (14 May 1970 – 24 September 2003) was a Kenyan long-distance runner together with marathon specialist, who competed inwards the belatedly 1980s together with 1990s. He participated at the first IAAF World Half Marathon Championships inwards 1992 together with finished inwards starting fourth dimension place.
#Riddles (Ndae)
Kikamba English
1. Question: Kungula kangala kithembeni? Kungulu kambagal (noise) inwards the drum?
Answer : Mutwaano wa mbia H5N1 wedding ceremony of rats
2. Question: Nayiatha na kaluma ndiu ndukakwata? It's inwards space, together with you lot can't touching the eagle eater?
Answer: Ndata A star
3. Question: Kaveti kaa kanini kakilitye mwenyu kuua? This little adult woman cooks meliorate than your mother?
Answer: Nzuki A bee
4. Question: Kikungu muingo? Dust on the other ridge?
Answer: Nzana isembee mwana A monitor lizard running for its child
5. Question: Masee ma asa meanene? My father's ii equal calabashes?
Answer: Itu na nthi globe together with sky
Kamba dance
Music together with Dance
Undoubtedly the most spectacular manifestation of traditional Kamba civilization was their dancing, performed to throbbing polyrhythmic drum beats. It was characterised past times exceptionally acrobatic leaps together with somersaults, which flung dancers into the air. The trend of playing was similar to that of the as disappeared traditions of the Embu together with Chuka: the drummers would handgrip the long drums betwixt their legs, together with would also dance. The Kambas of Paraguay inwards South America soundless perform this traditional dance.
Kamba musicians
From the 1960s, groups similar Kilimambogo Brothers of the belatedly Kakai Kilonzo, Mateo Festos of Muema Brothers together with Peter Mwambi of Kyanyanga Boys Band have got composed striking songs that captivated non exactly Ukambani but the entire country.
Unfortunately, amongst the exception of official functions together with music festivals (where professional person cultural troupes perform), Kamba dancing is straight off almost if non completely extinct. With the exception of 1 commercially available tape ("Akamba Drums", Tamasha), I failed to discover whatever tapes of drum music, nor whatever reference to existing groups. The only live 'Akamba' drumming I heard was a pale mistaken past times a touristic multi-tribal ensemble on the coast, whose authenticity was inevitably suspect.
Several of the dances had armed services themes, straight derived from the participation past times Kamba inwards large numbers inwards the country's armed forces, starting amongst the First World War when they served nether the British inwards Bharat together with the Middle East.
The Musical Bow - Uta wa mundu mue: The Kamba musical bow is similar to those of other peoples, consisting of a tautly-strung bow, to which is attached a gourd resonator. The playing technique is, however, unusual: whilst beating the string amongst a stick to create a single note, the performer sings into the hollow gourd.
The musical instrument was played past times medicine men patch treating patients, together with the Kamba call for the musical instrument - uta wa mundu mue - literally agency 'the bow of the medicine man.'
Drums - Ngoma: Ngoma served 3 main purposes inwards Kamba life, together with each purpose could live determined past times the crunch (the next is adapted from the sleeve notes to "Akamba Drums"):
1. Three heavy drum beats together with a two- to three-minute intermission sounded a alert to the hamlet of an approaching enemy.
2. H5N1 single continuous crunch was meant to remind villagers that it was fourth dimension to encounter somewhere, from where all would go together with assist cultivate the shamba (farm) for a colleague of theirs.
3. H5N1 heavy single stroke of the drum, followed past times a continuous whistling was a telephone phone from assist from the neighbours when for instance a hut was on sack or cattle rustlers had raided a cattle boma (enclosure).
Whenever the Ngoma drum was used inwards celebrations, it was starting fourth dimension warmed inwards the Sun to attain the right timbre. During the trip the lite fantastic a number of them could live used.
Drum dances - Kilumi: Kilumi (pl. milumi) drum songs together with dances were traditionally performed past times women together with comprised of ii kilumi drums accompanying the ululations together with singing of a Pb vocaliser backed past times ii other women vocalists. Usually, the drummers compose together with sing too.
Formerly for old women, kilumi is straight off danced to fifty-fifty past times men, together with kilumi is 1 of the few songs together with dances that traditionalists soundless perform inwards Ukambani. One session of the kilumi trip the lite fantastic could lastly nigh one-half an hour, together with the entire performance for something similar 8 hours.
Laughing at something
Museve Muumbi was carried downward past times water,
I came amongst Nzambi.
Don't forget, he knows what I want.
You volition thatch amongst grass please. Muumbi drowned.
H5N1 slithering serpent drowned. You volition thatch amongst grass. Oh yes!
You volition thatch amongst grass. Muumbi drowned. I came amongst Nzambi.
What do you lot know?
I was laughing at something. Soon it volition live morning.
Iii of Mulovi of Walii together with Ngata,
permit me piece of work similar white men. What is it?
I volition want to greet Walii,
Iii. Aiiiii. He is possessed! [spoken]
I volition want to greet Walii,
Iii. Aiiiii. He is possessed! [spoken]
Do you lot know, I express joy at something I want. Walii together with Ngata, if I want to, I'll telephone phone on you lot inwards the evening. Haieeee!
Other drum dances:
The next is adapted from the sleeve notes to "Akamba Drums".
Mbeni: This trip the lite fantastic is for immature single people together with because of its tiring pace, it has the shortest sessions. One session lasts less than x minutes. Its instruments are a laid of 4 drums together with 3 whistles. Danced inwards pairs as it gets to the climax, when the manlike somebody dancer (Anake) jumps nigh 4 feet into the air together with somersaults.
Kamba mbeni dance
Nduli: The most pop trip the lite fantastic amidst Kamba teenagers. It is a status that whatever man child attending an Nduli session must live circumcised, for it is inwards the Nduli trip the lite fantastic that 1 may take a partner for life.
Kisanga: This is a thanks-giving trip the lite fantastic for all ages, both immature together with old. It is performed only when the hamlet has had a practiced harvest. During the celebration a white caprine animal is slaughtered, its blood poured nether the Kitutu Tree, together with its meat left close the tree for Mulungu (God).
Mwasa: The Mwasa trip the lite fantastic involved ii drums, 1 little together with 1 large, together with was institute inwards northern Kitui. While non primarily used for dancing, Mwasa served as an accompaniment patch elders enjoyed uki beer. Mwasa is a relatively novel drum beat, which comes from a combination of Nzumari from the Giriama (one of the 'Nine Tribes' of the Mijikenda) together with master Kamba Ngoma. It came into existence during the Second World War, when Giriama together with Kamba soldiers served together inwards the colonial army.
Kamba Mwasa dance
Songs
The Kamba have got many kinds of songs; together with each type has a name. The songs included: mbathi sya kivalo; myali (general social commentary together with scathing attacks [nzeo] against miscreants); lullabies; together with songs for circumcisions, marriages, work, together with hunts (uthiani). Circumcision songs had many names: ngakali (or kakali) together with undiu. Unmarried girls sang maio ("mourning" songs) at a newly married girl's dwelling theatre to "mourn" losing their colleague. While thatching, threshing or digging, people commonly worked to the rhythms of songs.
Mbathi sya kivalo were wathi songs accompanied past times trip the lite fantastic and, often, instrumental music. These songs differed according to the trip the lite fantastic steps together with drums used. Songs accompanied past times instruments included kyaa, ngutha, mbalya, kuli, mbeni, kilumi together with ngulukulu. Unaccompanied songs included nzai, kithakyo, musya, kilamu, mukungo, kilui, kileve, mawese together with mbalu.
Myali (singular mwali) were sung at wathis - large ceremonies amongst singing, dancing, together with socializing. Myali were neither accompanied past times musical instruments nor danced to inwards Machakos together with Kitui Central. At the wathi, myali were sung during interludes betwixt dances. They were also sung at weddings, after work, or only for leisure. They were composed together with sung throughout the year, fifty-fifty when wathi was out of season. Though every Kamba mightiness sing myali, few composed them. The mwali composer (ngui) would sing a recent composition, sometimes on asking [...]
Though wathis are non held inwards most of Ukambani, myali are soundless sung inwards little informal groups. The ngui together with mbasa interviewed during this inquiry reported that ngui were no longer composing novel myali. More thorough inquiry is needed to let on whether these customs have got survived inwards some parts of Ukambani.
Traditionally, myali covered events, experiences together with attitudes of the Kamba - conserving traditions together with defending customary mores. Besides entertaining, mwali also conveyed the Kamba's aspirations, hopes together with fears. The linguistic communication inwards myali was highly figurative amongst many metaphors, similes, together with innuendos using imagery mutual to the people together with their surroundings. Multiple themes were portrayed easily since 1 give-and-take or phrase could have got several meanings at different levels. Thematically, myali were remarkably eclectic; each mwali dealt amongst multiple themes simultaneously. In rapid fire, the apparent focus shifted abruptly, though - through hidden references - major themes continually resurfaced. This made myali hard to sympathize because certainly words or phrases could live taken literally amongst deeper meanings eluding casual listeners. People were challenged to decipher the meanings of the things, places together with persons alluded to. These disguised references made myali both hard together with popular; they were oft codes understood past times an intended few. By choosing words or occurrences known to few people, a ngui could conceal many ideas together with messages, though he sang publicly.
Myali extolled exceptional feats past times individuals or groups together with denounced deviant actions or behaviour, peculiarly inwards nzeo ("to piece off"), a subclass of myali. Nzeo helped Kamba gild dependent wrongdoers, rogues, together with social misfits. Society, amongst its many eyes, swiftly exposed villainous behaviour. The culprits were named, together with quickly, inwards the regular shape provided past times wathi. Traditionally, the Kamba were non at all reluctant to call publicly whatever wrongdoer. And everyone dreaded the scorn together with wrath that ensued such world exposures. Once sung, people would call back together with sing those nzeo long afterwards during wathi together with patch relaxing, walking, or working, peculiarly when inwards earshot of the culprit. Psychologically, the peer-group pressure level was immense; together with people feared committing whatever transgression that mightiness inspire a ngui to sing a nzeo against them.
With needlelike satire - currently an nether used science - myali seriously criticized society. For example, a torrent of myali condemned colonial oppression together with exploitation. Myali helped mobilize people against the colonialists, though previous researchers have got largely overlooked this function. Since myali was a major device for Kamba gild to maintain its cohesion, discipline, together with moral fibre, the colonialists' prohibition of wathi - the main fora for myali - struck a vital blow to the Kamba's powerfulness to resist armed services together with cultural domination, eg., orders to burn downward their traditional adornments together with clothing.
A novice ngui emulated older ngui together with learned from their compositions. The budding ngui would compose a mwali together with sing it to himself together with his friends exterior the wathi before beingness officially introduced at a wathi. H5N1 novel ngui had to live recognized past times elders together with prominent ngui who would endorse him at the wathi.
The ngui respected together with mentioned each other inwards their compositions, thereby recognizing each other's talents together with demonstrating professional person solidarity. Occasionally, ngui competed against each other. Each ngui was listened to individually. They insulted 1 another, calling each other names together with pointing out their faults as a somebody together with a ngui. They used subtle words only their historic catamenia mates understood. But this was exactly a mock rivalry rarely extending beyond the wathi.
A ngui's competence together with artistic inventiveness was measured past times how accurately he portrayed events, occasions or deeds. Originality together with imaginative work of the linguistic communication proved his artistic ability. By ingeniously manipulating the language, a ngui became distinguished. Though composition of a mwali was commonly inspired past times a specific event, the mwali also referred to other events the ngui had observed or heard about.
Each ngui chose 1 or to a greater extent than men (mbasa) to assist him sing. He composed a mwali on his own, sometimes isolating himself for days, depending on how rapidly the mwali was formed. Then he called his mbasa together with sang the vocal repeatedly until they memorized it later, the ngui together with his mbasa attended the wathi together with sang the novel composition. H5N1 mbasa never composed or altered myali; they only sang amongst their ngui. H5N1 mbasa accompanied the ngui at all his performances. He carried the ngui's stool together with pare together with whatever gifts received. After singing at a component (eg., a wedding ceremony or feast), the ngui together with his mbasa were fed kituma, a specially prepared chicken.
Wathi was the most important social occasion amidst the Kamba before colonialism. During a wathi, people gathered, sang together with danced inwards the kituto or kinyaka, a specially cleared piece of terra firma betwixt ii or 3 villages. People mingled at the wathi; together with many youths met their futurity spouses. Wathi was organized past times nthele selected past times older men together with women. Wathi happened during the dry out flavour together with was forbidden during planting, weeding together with harvesting times. At the wathi, both individuals together with groups sang amongst or without musical instruments, commonly drums. Many types of drums were used for different dances.
Different villages sometimes held trip the lite fantastic competitions. Charms together with magic were used to win the competitions, supposedly past times lessening the opponents' vigour inwards dancing or past times successfully deflecting an opponent's jinx.
Between Jan together with March, wathi wa muvingusyo (song of knocking) occurred. This sort of wathi happened at night. It started at the homesteads amongst youths singing loudly patch gathering their friends together with moving from hamlet to village. Being gratis to wander at night, immature men serenaded exterior girls' huts. H5N1 girl's manlike somebody parent would tell the group: "Stop clamouring, leave of absence the compound." This signalled that he would allow his immature adult woman to go amongst them. If he said nothing, the youths would hold back patiently, after leaving without her, but reluctantly. After many youths joined the procession, they went to the kituto or whatever opened upward infinite nearby where the wathi continued till dawn.
After the harvest together with circumcisions, wathi was at its peak. Dancing was specifically for the young. H5N1 human being could trip the lite fantastic until his children were adolescents; afterwards he could only watch. Married women, peculiarly those who had borne to a greater extent than than ii children, were commonly spectators, non dancers. Each player at the wathi had a wathi-name given past times his peers. After marriage, women's wathi-names were dropped, though men kept theirs.
For the wathi, immature men together with women adorned themselves amongst different ornaments collectively called mathaa, eg., masango, mavuo, masoa, milia, ndini, syuma, ndulo, nganyange, mamile, mbangili, ikuli together with imaba.
Kamba women drummers
Hunting songs: The next hunting vocal is called Uthiani. After a successful hunt (or raid), the hunters or warriors received a bull - the "unity" (muamba) bull - to eat.
"Due to relishing pump together with eating os marrow, I was broken.
Mwania's father's [cattle] were raided amongst a pronged stick.
Iii iiii mmmmm.
Though I mightiness fail, I'll essay to touching the breasts of the coward's wife.
Yes! Unity together with co-operation were destroyed due to relishing pump together with eating os marrow. Mwania's father's [cattle] were rustled amongst a pronged stick.
Iii iiii mmmmmmm.
I'll hunt deep into the wood till
I discover them at Makala's earthworks upward roots for the baby.
I don't want people maxim I feared elephants.
Quiver-carrier, if you lot fright elephants together with yet have got no wife, amongst what volition you lot purchase her?
You fright elephants though they have got non adorned themselves amongst masango [a type of necklace].
Bang! Kisove's hunt inwards Mbitini! [spoken]"
Lullabies: Women sang or sometimes exactly hummed brusque lullabies over together with over 1 time to a greater extent than to restless or crying babies. The next is called "Rain".
"Every worldly thing rejoices nigh rain. It is the woman parent of all the things God created.
Lululu, babe sleep.
Lululu, babe halt crying, pelting is coming.
Lululu, babe halt crying, pelting is coming."
Wedding songs: This wedding ceremony vocal is entitled "Leave your friends, forget the dances!". H5N1 soloist sings each line twice, together with the chorus repeats it twice.
"Moses, you lot are straight off married.
You should know, you lot are straight off an elder.
Forget your old companions.
Moses, you lot have got done a practiced thing for us.
You demand to know, you lot are straight off an elder.
Forget your old companions.
Stop going to the dances you lot went to.
Stop going to the movies similar you lot did before.
Aggy! Aggy is married. Know that you lot are straight off a wife.
Leave your old friends. Forget the dances you lot used to attend.
Know that you lot are straight off a wife.
Mutiswa! Mutiswa has "gone up".
Fetchers of firewood have got increased. The community has grown.
Mambwa has slept.
The community [of immature single women] is straight off 1 less."
Work songs :This song, entitled "To Gatundu to view Kenyatta", was sung as a solo to furnish a musical rhythm for road-building, which was a shape of forced labour imposed past times the British.
"Iii hep!
Have you lot heard?
Let's go to Gatundu to view Kenyatta. The people from Kithini never built a shop. Yes, have got you lot heard?
The following, called "Don't forget me!", is also sung past times a soloist, together with accompanied the tiring task of grinding grain.
"Nzakyo, you lot volition acquire me arrested.
Nzakyo, Mbuvi's son! Yes, you lot volition acquire me arrested.
Tell me what is on your mind. I'm crying.
As I opened upward together with unopen my eyes, tears exactly pour out.
Now, I am getting ready to move similar the governor's plane, the bird destined for Mwanza.
Now, I am getting ready to move similar the governor's plane, the bird destined for Mwanza."
Kamba musical group that play inwards a trend of Kilumi, wathi wa kikamba. They are also from the Kamba ethnic community (ukamba wa kitui).
Clothing
The Akamba of the modern times, similar most people inwards Kenya, wearing apparel rather conventionally inwards western / European clothing. The men have on trousers together with shirts. Young boys will, as a rule, have on shorts together with short-sleeved shirts, commonly inwards cotton, or tee-shirts. Traditionally, Akamba men wore leather brusque kilts made from creature skins or tree bark. They wore copious jewellery, mainly of copper together with brass. It consisted of neck-chains, bracelets, together with anklets.
The women inwards modern Akamba gild also wearing apparel inwards the European fashion, taking their selection from dresses, skirts, trousers, jeans together with shorts, made from the broad gain of fabrics available inwards Kenya. Primarily, however, skirts are the customary together with respectable mode of dress. In the past, the women were attired inwards knee-length leather or bark skirts, embellished amongst bead work. They wore necklaces made of beads, these obtained from the Swahili together with Arab traders. They shaved their heads clean, together with wore a caput band intensively decorated amongst beads. The diverse kilumi or trip the lite fantastic groups wore similar colours together with patterns on their bead piece of work to distinguish themselves from other groups.
Serena Williams beingness dressed as traditional Kamba woman
Traditionally, both men together with women wore leather sandals peculiarly when they ventured out of their neighbourhoods to go to the marketplace seat or on visits. While at dwelling theatre or working inwards their fields, however, they remained barefoot.
School children, manlike somebody together with female, shave their heads to maintain the spirit of uniformity together with equality. Currently the most pop Kamba creative somebody include; Ken Wamaria, Kativui, Kitunguu etc. Ken Wamaria is rated as the top creative somebody inwards Ukambani together with the richest Kenyan creative somebody (Kioko, 2012).
Death together with afterlife
In mutual amongst many other Kenyan people, the Kamba have got diverse legends that say that the starting fourth dimension men had the gift of either immortality or of rising 1 time to a greater extent than after dying. God 1 hateful solar daytime decided to create this permanent, so he called for a messenger. The people sent a rattling boring but careful animal, such as a chameleon or mole, to have together with deliver the message. As it was God's message, 1 time it was delivered, it could non live taken back. Alas, on his way dorsum downward to earth, the creature either forgot the message, or foolishly blurted it out to an envious animal, such as jackal, who together with so ran to tell the people the opposite of what God had commanded. Henceforth, people were condemned to boot the bucket together with never rising again. As you lot tin perhaps tell, I don't have got a Kamba illustration of the tale, so have got a seem at the Kikuyu myth of the Origin of Death, which is similar.
The starting fourth dimension myth goes like:
"Now at that spot was a fourth dimension when men rose 1 time to a greater extent than as shortly as they died. One hateful solar daytime Ngai sent the chameleon to tell people that they would never die. Ngai wanted people to multiply on the land. He said: 'Go. Tell the people that from straight off 1 they volition non die. They volition bear to a greater extent than children together with the terra firma volition live populated.'
The Chameleon went on his errand but he walked rattling very slowly, treading rattling softly. He did non want the vault of the ground to collapse. Now when he reached the earth, he institute that the people were waiting to hear the message he had brought. And the chameleon started to deliver his message inwards this manner: 'I wa-was-was to-told, I wa-wa-was to to-told...'
And the people waited to hear what the Chameleon wanted to say.
Now as the people were waiting for the message, Ngai sent the swift flight Nyamindigi. The latter came together with institute that the Chameleon had non finished his message together with the bird said:
'What is this you lot are telling the people?'
'I was-was-was-to-to-told, were they non told to boot the bucket together with vanish from the earth?'
And the bird flew away. The Chameleon was left humiliated together with feeling guilty because he did non deliver his message shortly enough. Now from that hateful solar daytime people died together with never returned 1 time to a greater extent than to earth.
When people saw the Chameleon, they mocked together with despised him saying: 'Get sparse together with thinner together with permit me grow fatty together with healthy.'
And the Chameleon constantly grew thinner together with wasted away. The story ends there.
The 2nd myth also goes like:
"It is Riua (Sun) the King of the globe who lives at Kirinyaga who came to ground together with institute the chief's boy dead. The main told the King that expiry had go a groovy job to his people. And Riua the King said: 'Give me a messenger, I volition give him a medicinal pulverization from Kirinyaga. This pulverization volition live set inwards the sack together with when people aroma its smoke, they volition never boot the bucket again.'
The main chose the squirrel together with when the women saw the squirrel dressed upward to go amongst Riua the King, they were jubilant together with ululated: 'Aririririi-ri-i'. The squirrel appreciated amongst Hii-hi! Yiii-hi! together with went off amongst Riua to Kirinyaga.
Now when the squirrel was coming from Kirinyaga, carrying the medicinal powder, he met Mr. Hyena who was also going to Kirinyaga to acquire the same pulverization for his ain personal use. He saw the squirrel together with became jealous. So Mr. Hyena assaulted the squirrel together with threw the pulverization into the swift-flowing river. He together with so went dorsum to earth.
The squirrel was worried; together with so he returned dorsum to Riua, the King, to study what Mr. Hyena had done. Then the King was angry together with said: 'You squirrel, you lot failed inwards a mission entrusted to you lot for the people. With a curse, I accuse you lot to take yourself from the people together with remain forever inwards holes inwards the soil. As for the hyena, he has from straight off on go an enemy of the people'.
The Kamba have got diverse metaphorical phrases for death: to follow the society of one's grandfathers, to go home, to halt snoring, to live fetched or summoned, to empty out the soul, to slumber for e'er together with ever, to dry out up, wither or evaporate, to gain away, to live called, to reject the people, to reject food, to live received or taken away, to render or go back, to terminate, to live finished or end, to have got one's breath come upward to an end, to depart or go, to go where other people have got gone, to leave, forsake or abandon, to collapse, come upward to ruins, to go God's property.
Akamba elder
source:http://emmanuelkariuki.hubpages.com/hub/Kamba-people-of-Kenya
http://emmanuelkariuki.hubpages.com/hub/Kamba-people-of-Kenya
Rain Making Beliefs of Akamba People
Rain making dances inwards Republic of Kenya vary over fourth dimension together with place. Akamba rituals, similar rituals of whatever group, alter over fourth dimension inwards that novel elements are added together with obsolete components are removed. The Akamba are known for their use, familiarity, together with noesis of ritual traditions that are interwoven into their society.
Marilyn Silberfein provides a study of pelting performances conducted to deal drought inwards the Kamba urban core of Machakos. Based on her study, the performances were directed to N’gai, the Creator together with Supreme Being, together with Aimu, the spirits of the departed. These spirits were invoked because of their powers to command together with predict rainfall levels. The rainfall ceremonies centered on knowing when to await rain.
In other cases, this human relationship comes from old myths. Paul Kavyu shares his inquiry on pelting prophets prior to the widespread redirection of pelting forecasting to the Ministry of Health. In Kavyu’s study, participants communicated amongst the powerfulness of “Mwathani” together with higher spirits, but they never genuinely knew if the prayers would live answered. For this reason, pelting prophets, called “Athani”, were sought to conduct pelting ceremonies together with sacrifices.
"Two sacrifices are made for rain…When Mutitu Hill is heard roaring belatedly at
night, or early on morn hours, the already dead prophets are asking for a
sacrifice for their friends who give them the prophet’s power. This asking is
made to the living Mwathani or the somebody concerned. After weeks after the
roaring, the somebody living who is concerned has to give someone live for the
request…. The 2nd sacrifice is made inwards all Mathembo inwards the country, to the
spirit who lives inwards ii pools inwards Mutiti Hill…"
These accounts are presented primarily to exhibit some of the older oral narratives together with myths associated amongst pelting inwards Ukambani. These stories together with rites, although non all straight practiced, are memorialized together with embedded into the civilization of the people.
Droughts are viewed as catastrophic moments that require ritual intervention. The ritual procedure for handling misfortunate rainfall is evident inwards historical records. These records signal that the starting fourth dimension task when faced amongst the threat of drought is for the community to get together to sympathize the root cause of the problem. Gerhard Lindblom, inwards his ethnographical study, The Akamba, reported that medicine men inwards Ukambani were oft consulted to assist predict pelting due to the importance of agriculture inwards society, which was cultivated primarily past times women. Lindblom notes the next actions of woman somebody planters when at that spot was a job amongst rainfall:
"At the occurrence of a drought which threatens the harvest, the
women gather together…beating their drums they march from village
to village. Each adult woman who has land, must bring together them…’the wives
have got a coming together the Akamba say."
Lindblom describes a drought intervention ceremony as an eve of dancing together with singing, patch the medicine human being consults amongst the pelting spirits to determine the proper actions to take. The immediate activity of the community speaks to the historical practise of villagers to sympathize the root causes of pelting instability. The lack of pelting is a sign of a spiritual imbalance that the rites together with interventions of the ritual trip the lite fantastic together with magic practiced past times medicine men is designed to correct.
All life crises are the final result of the private or grouping beingness out of harmony amongst man, nature, the spirits, deities, or the ancestors; thus, a key aspect of rituals is restoring residuum inwards a multifariousness of situations. All rituals are conducted through the spiritual leaders, ritual specialists, or medicine workers. The highest spiritual beingness of the Akamba is called Mulunga, “a powerfulness of abstract conception…the creator of all things.
Over the years, pelting making trip the lite fantastic rituals have got persisted inwards Ukambani; however, the rituals go along to adapt. Some of the older practices of women inwards the community, such as gathering from theatre to house, are no longer widespread. Instead, many of the traditional rites, similar pelting making, are conducted past times select community members who engage inwards specific ritual performances. Despite this together with many other modifications of the execution of pelting trip the lite fantastic rituals, what has been retained is the clear objective of the ceremony: to seek spiritual intervention that produces rain.
Rain Dance Ritual Process
There is no single pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual procedure since each ceremony is different together with dependent on the participants, available resources, instant inwards time, together with environmental circumstances. However, at that spot is sufficient information on ritual structure, pelting ceremonies, together with acre analysis to pigment a narrative of the trip the lite fantastic experience. For this study, pelting dances were observed during 2008-2009 acre inquiry inwards Kenya. The dances were performed past times a local Akamba group, Wendo Wa Kavete, from the Kibwezi District, together with a local trip the lite fantastic society inwards Talla, inwards the Kangundo District. Wendo Wa Kavete, similar many others inwards Ukambani, are responsible for remembering together with performing traditional trip the lite fantastic ceremonies inwards the community. The ceremonies recorded inwards Kibwezi were authentic together with a direct reaction to the ongoing drought there.
The pelting trip the lite fantastic transformed the community from an “unhealed” province to a “healed” state. Jean Comaroff, inwards her 1985 study, Body of Power, identifies several distinct ritual processes that are useful together with have got been modified for this analysis of pelting making: summoning the spirits, strengthening, together with healing.28 In add-on to the phases outlined past times Comaroff, based on observation of other ritual forms, at that spot is a demand for an additional phase, “celebration”. All of these phases volition live analyzed inwards the next sections to sympathize the pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual.
Summoning the Spirits
The pelting making rite begins amongst libations together with prayers. At this stage, it is clear that at that spot are different player roles. Unlike many rituals, the pelting making ritual does non have got 1 orchestrator. Instead, the elders, dancers, musicians, together with observers all create upward the ritual experience collectively, which could go along for several days.
The elders serve as the initial dot of contact to the pelting making spirits. Other key participants are the musicians who are trained inwards the precise pelting making rhythms. The dancers’ bodies are the dominant symbol, together with the powerfulness associated amongst the dancers’ movements furnish the necessary unloosen energy to assist invoke the spirits together with healing. The community, inwards this ritual, is the victim; therefore, other observers inwards the ritual serve as the symbolic representation of the community that needs healing, patch simultaneously serving as witnesses to the ceremony.
Furthermore, their presence transmits vital unloosen energy that assists the ritual. The terminal role is that of
the unseen pelting spirit, which may or may non attend, but, as mentioned earlier, is a key forcefulness in
whether or non the community tin await futurity rain.
The libation acts telephone phone the spirits to have the forthcoming rites together with let on the circumstances of the drought. This initial telephone phone varies inwards length together with tin take on many forms. Elders pouring milk libations to the ancestors to invoke the spiritual world. This commences the pelting making trip the lite fantastic ceremony. The duration of the libation is dependent upon the elder’s satisfaction that a suitable prayer together with telephone phone has been initiated. As witnesses, the elders initiated libations, poured milk for the ancestors, together with and so drank from the calabash. They work milk, inwards particular, inwards these ceremonies because the Wakamba sentiment milk as having the properties necessary for to a greater extent than blessings. During the ceremony, only men were allowed to drinkable the milk, showing the continuity of traditional gender roles. Despite modern pressures for the Akamba, men are soundless regarded as authorities together with so leaders inwards of import community matters.
After the opening prayer together with libation, musicians began to play the drums together with other instruments, creating a boring together with synchronized musical rhythm at the same boring tempo together with wheel length. The elderly woman somebody dancers are positioned inwards opposite areas, together with they piece of cake displace into the trip the lite fantastic ritual infinite inwards unison. The spiritual seriousness of the ritual is seen on the faces of participants as they blow whistles together with milk tremble rattles. Dancers amongst their whistles together with rattles during the stage inwards which spirits are summoned. This formation continues until a certainly unloosen energy flat is achieved together with a spiritual line is opened.
Kamba carving
Strengthening
Strengthening is the procedure inwards which participants gain a climatic state. During this process, specific trip the lite fantastic movements are used together with referred to as kusunga or kwina, depending on the specific Ukamba territory. In addition, pelting making dances utilize many symbols. In fact, the
pelting making Kilumi rite is total of symbolic construction together with meaning. Symbolic construction together with work is
the focus of Victor Turner inwards his book, The Forest of Symbols:
"The symbol is the smallest unity of ritual which soundless retains the specific properties of
ritual behavior; it is the ultimate unity of specific construction inwards a ritual context…a symbol
is a thing regarded past times full general consent as naturally typifying or representing or recalling
something past times possession of analogous qualities or past times association inwards fact or thought…the
ritual symbol becomes a factor inwards social action, a positive forcefulness inwards an activity field. The
symbol becomes associated amongst human interests, purposes, ends, together with means, whether
these are explicitly formulated or have got to live inferred from the observed behavior."
Consistent amongst Turner’s description, symbols inwards pelting making rituals are representative of an object, person, place, or thing together with tin live categorized as “dominant symbols” or “instrumental symbols”. The dominant symbols, according to Turner, refer to the value of the ritual or representation of non-empirical beings together with powers.
The dominant symbol of the pelting making ritual is the rolling of the shoulders together with caput locking movements through gestures of the shoulders together with arms. This represents unity together with the pouring downward of rain. This body motion involves women bending over, locking heads amongst other dancers, together with shaking their shoulders together with arms, which, inwards many ways, mimics the pouring of rain. The caput connections are symbolic of the interconnected nature of the environment, community, together with the spirits. The locking procedure is also associated amongst an increased drum tempo that serves as the peak of this strengthening phase. The dancers together with musicians are all inwards a transcended state, giving them power, together with eventually leading to the healing of the community. Judith Hanna attempts to depict this “transcended” province inwards the following:
"Intense, vigorous dancing tin Pb to an altered province of consciousness through brain
moving ridge frequency, adrenalin, together with blood saccharide changes…dance-induced altered states of
consciousness may live perceived as numinous…because motility attracts attending and
trip the lite fantastic is cognitive together with multi-sensory, trip the lite fantastic has the unique potential of going beyond
other arts together with audio-visual media inwards framing, prolonging, or discontinuing
communication together with inwards creating moods, together with divine manifestations."
However, it is the dancers together with musicians that best articulate their experience which is to a greater extent than effectively communicated inwards their expressions. In live observations, the unloosen energy reverberates together with tin live felt inwards the resonance of the drums.
This motion is the climax of the dance, a connectedness amongst the pelting spirit. The arrival of the pelting spirit inwards the ritual is symbolic on several levels: 1) the community tin await pelting together with fertile crop production; 2) the eventual healing together with revitalization of the community which has been afflicted; together with 3) the Akamba ritual was successful together with the community volition live blessed. The absence of the spirit during the ritual agency that the Akamba tin await hard times; this commonly agency the brusque term together with symbolic expiry of the community.
According to Tribhuwan, “As a symbolic instrument, a somebody may work his body as a agency of communication.” The body, through dance, represents construction together with residuum inwards the composition together with positioning of the participants, together with harmony, as depicted amongst its human relationship to the drums, the singing, together with unity amongst the other dancers. “Dance both encodes together with decodes myth together with ritual.” For example, before together with shortly after the presence of the pelting spirit, dancers mimic a province of possession that is symbolic of the coming of the spirit together with the presence of the spirit. Evan Zuesse, inwards his study of trip the lite fantastic rituals, claims that “…the body gesture becomes a vehicle for conveying together with embodying the highest symbolic truths.” Music, song, together with motion allow the body, as a symbolic structure, to alter together with take on different meanings throughout the ritual.
Symbols are embedded throughout the pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual together with have got to live understood inwards the context
of the people during a specific fourth dimension because pregnant tin also alter over time. “A symbol by
Definition is non what it represents…The component of symbols is to human activity as a rallying dot for
pregnant together with through this, the take heed connects several meanings.”
During the strengthening phase, diverse instruments play different aspects of the rhythm, providing a consummate fullness. Drums together with other processional instruments are key aspects of all divination, non exactly pelting making. Paul Kavyu, inwards his handling of Akamba music, describes it as less melodic together with to a greater extent than idiophonic. The dancers complement this music past times responding amongst to a greater extent than intense dancing. Movements are together with so lodged inside intricate details of the rhythm. The harmony of all activities associated amongst this aspect of the ritual is profound. The dancers engage inwards all sorts of gestures that also imply order. The symbolic movements of the arms going upward together with downward stand upward for balance. Likewise, the musicians stand upward for a residuum inwards their melodies.
The unison together with intensity of the stage continues until the musical rhythm completely drops together with moves
into a healing phase.
Healing
The healing stage marks the slowdown together with recovery period. Additional symbols are nowadays during this phase. Turner labels certainly symbols as instrumental symbols because they are connected to the overall goal of the ritual. The instrumental symbols used inwards Akamba pelting making rites vary. For example, color is symbolic, together with the dancers have on black, white, together with reddish during these ceremonies. Turner views the therapeutic nature of the color white as “strength, life, health, making visible, sweeping clean, together with washing impurities from oneself.” The dancers together with musicians have on white to symbolize the desired province of practiced health. Red is associated amongst powerfulness together with life. According to Turner, the color dark symbolizes impurities, suffering, together with misfortune. Black is symbolic of the initial problematic province of the community, which aims to transition into a pure, healed, together with prosperous state. Thus, the colors symbolically stand upward for the therapeutic conversion taking identify during this ritual phase.
During the healing aspect of the ritual, musicians together with dancers go along to harmonize together with hold back for the healing powerfulness of the spirit.49 True healing tin only live achieved past times the arrival of the pelting spirit which may acquire inwards in the shape of a possessed dancer or other participant. At this dot inwards the ritual, a novel atmosphere arises, 1 of anticipation. This is followed past times boring chanting together with singing amongst the dancers also internalizing the boring musical rhythm through their body together with arm use. Stillness is also present, and, inwards some cases, at that spot is prayer. However, the ultimate goal is spiritual presence together with healing. Hanna states, “In manifesting divinity, trip the lite fantastic may live both a agency together with an end…Dance may live a medium to gain such a goal as inviting a deity to possess the performer, detaching the private from the ground to go united amongst God.”
The bodies of the dancers go vessels symbolizing the forthcoming presence of the pelting trip the lite fantastic spirit. Within minutes, spirits acquire inwards in the ritual infinite dancing together with assessing the situation. In the instance of favor, the community is healed, moved from the old province to 1 of balance. The pelting spirit allows the healing of the entire community amongst the ultimate goal of generating rain.
Celebration
The celebration stage was added to stand upward for the closure of a positive pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual ceremony. With the eventual revitalization of the environs amongst rain, no affair when it arrives, the entire community celebrates. Turner describes this terminal stage as 1 where the passage is complete, “The ritual subject, private or corporate, is inwards a relatively stable province 1 time to a greater extent than and, past times virtue of this, has rights together with obligations…he is expected to deport inwards accordance amongst certainly customary norms together with ethical standards.”
The celebration stage represents the destination of the ritual together with appreciation of favorable results. Again, it is of import to greenback that the pelting trip the lite fantastic ritual is symbolic on ii levels. It represents the healing of the private together with the community, together with it represents futurity fertility inwards crop production. At this point, the community commonly sings, dances, together with celebrates the arrival or the coming of the rain. Many may interrogation the human relationship betwixt the pelting making trip the lite fantastic ceremonies together with the arrival of rain, but the dot is as good fluid to evidence together with irrelevant. What matters is what the Akamba think they
accomplished together with their organized religious belief inwards their prayers, songs, movements, together with drums to convey forth rain.
Rain Dance Socio-Cultural Implications
Rain trip the lite fantastic rituals inwards Republic of Kenya let on some rattling of import socio-cultural functions that may live applied to rituals inwards general. There are also functions that are rattling specific to the pelting ritual.
The functions identified volition live framed against the analysis of Tribhuwan who consolidated ritual functions from some of the top scholars on the topic. (1) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic presents an first-class illustration of how trip the lite fantastic fosters cohesion together with community togetherness. The drought created a crisis inwards which the community needed to piece of work together. (2) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual was instrumental inwards the motion of the community from a province of affliction to a province of healing. The ritual symbolically represented the universal motion of the community from a province of sickness to 1 of practiced wellness together with practiced standing. (3) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual shows spiritual intervention. Therefore, rituals tin live applied to resolve conflict inwards the society. (4) The pelting making trip the lite fantastic ritual expresses Akamba socio-cultural beliefs together with meanings of the society.
Symbolically, it is clear that the Akamba view a connectedness betwixt the body, drumming, singing,
prayer, together with artifacts similar the calabash used to pour the milk libations, together with spirits. (5) The rain
making trip the lite fantastic ritual also serves as an educational tool that helps to enforce together with retain sociocultural
practices. In the dance, participants assist educate observers on traditions together with the role of ancestors. The rattling human activity of ritual practise ensures a certainly flat of continuity together with memory. The overall ritual actions together with construction highlight what is culturally valuable to the society
Conclusion
The Kilumi pelting dance, shows the complexity of treating the multiple variables inside Black dance. Rain dances stand upward for a rattling conscious, current, together with pertinent environmental management strategy that speaks to the vibrant together with dynamic nature of African culture. Rain trip the lite fantastic making is a ritual procedure designed to restore monastic enjoin to the natural world together with community. The trip the lite fantastic is conducted to admit the presence of the community’s unnatural province inwards the environs and, to a greater extent than importantly, to spiritually cleanse together with restore.
Rain dances are a component of a much larger societal monastic enjoin together with human relationship that connects rhythm, body
movements, the individual, community, environment, spiritual world, together with God. These relationships are interwoven together with complex. The trip the lite fantastic is an elaborate praise amongst prayer, libation, together with communion amongst the spiritual world together with God. The reciprocal human relationship betwixt prayers, sacrifices, together with blessings has been a long embedded practise for living inwards peace, together with it is still
relevant inwards managing limited resources.58 The ceremonies together with offerings to spirits resulted inwards the
Aimu (Ancestors), Mulunga,59 together with other spirits approbation Kenyan societies amongst stability together with gifts
(i.e. food, fertility, prosperity). The powerfulness to live inwards peace together with inwards residuum amongst the environment
over long periods of fourth dimension is evidence of a civilized together with harmonious society.
The study of pelting making dances opens new, powerful, together with a much needed window to the existing civilization together with past, as traditional songs, prayers, rhythms, movement, symbols, together with meanings piece of work together to portion how communities respond to life crises similar drought. Rain dances are non static rituals of an ancient past, but are, instead, contemporary acts invoked to respond to rattling existent modern problems similar misfortunate rainfall together with threats of starvation. In this study, nosotros have got seen that pelting making dances are soundless relevant together with integral to Kenyan society. The presence of pelting making trip the lite fantastic rituals contradicts notions that Kenyans have got completely disregarded the traditions of their ancestors, commonly attributed to colonized together with enslaved African people. Although at that spot are many rituals that have got been abandoned, those that remain be because they fill upward a void from Western structures. In these cases, rituals aim to address the spiritual dimension of problems together with issues that are oft neglected inwards Western approaches. In Kenya, this is most evident inwards areas associated amongst scientific discipline together with technology.
Kamba tribe human being Ken wa Maria
Source:http://www.jpanafrican.com/docs/vol4no6/4.6-10KilumiRain.pdf
Kenyan Kamba tribe successfully resists colonial livestock command past times the British, 1938
In the early on 1900s livestock, oft the currency of exchange, formed the foundation of the Kenyan Kamba tribe’s economy. H5N1 family’s herd size determined its wealth. As Britain colonized Kenya, this localized provisioning enabled the Kamba to remain relatively self-sufficient.As early on as the 1920s, the British authorities was aware of over-grazing of the Kamba Machakos reserve. In 1929 the Agricultural Department reported that the Kamba people were grazing unopen to 245,000 cows on the reserve, though the terra firma could only back upward nigh 53,400. Colin Maher, the government’s main soil conservation officer, described the poverty of the Kamba on the Machakos reserve together with attributed it to overgrazing.
Between 1929 together with 1934, the Agricultural Commission together with Carter Land Commission recommended destocking the terra firma (decreasing the number of cattle an private could hold). The colonial authorities submitted proposals to the Machakos Local Native Council to curb the effects of overgrazing.
Kamba human being together with Kenyan richest music creative somebody Ken wa Maria
The Kamba people accepted the colonial government’s subsequent policies of trenching, hillside terracing, together with planting of napier grass together with sisal trees amongst resentment. In 1938, the colonial authorities influenced the Liebegs theatre to opened upward a meat-canning manufacturing flora inwards the vicinity of the Machakos reserve. Since Liebegs built the manufacturing flora to procedure 70,000 cattle per twelvemonth together with had a break-even dot of 40,000 cattle, the conclusion past times the colonial authorities to invite the theatre implied that, reverse to what tradition suggested, the Kamba people would live willing to sell their cattle inwards large quantities.
The governor ordered that Liebegs live provided amongst cattle, suggestive of his intents to commence destocking on the Machakos reserve. The Kamba people perceived this as a direct imposition on their way of life, together with they mobilized against the colonial authorities to resist it.
In March 1938, the Kamba sent a telegram to the Colonial Office expressing their opposition to mandatory destocking. In May, however, Republic of Kenya Governor Robert Brooke-Popham launched the coercive destocking procedure inwards the Machakos reserve.
The procedure began amongst surveys of stock, followed past times meetings amongst Kamba elders defining the number of stock to live held past times each private Kamba community fellow member together with requiring that these live branded. Excess stock were together with so required to live sold to private dealers, such as Liebegs, or would live confiscated past times the government.
The colonial authorities successfully launched its projection together with past times July 1938 to a greater extent than than 20,000 total cattle had been sold. The Kamba people, however, boycotted meetings inwards which the stock quotas would live allocated. They sent a 2nd telegram to the Colonial Offices as good as a petition against the practice.
Nyiva Mwendwa- starting fourth dimension woman somebody Cabinet Minister inwards Republic of Kenya is from Kamba tribe
Muindi Mbingu (Samuel Muindi), Elijah Kavulu, Isaac Mwalonzi, together with Simon Kioko used their educated background together with agreement of opposition movements to organize their beau Kamba people through informal meetings inwards opposition to the colonial destocking mandate. The organizers publicized their dissent through the Kikuyu Central Association inwards Nairobi, letters to Kenyan politicians, together with through the Kikuyu nationalist publication Muiguithania.
Based inwards London, Jomo Kenyatta of the Kikuyu Central Association served as an ally to their cause past times writing letters nigh Kamba grievances to the paper Manchester Guardian. Kenyatta spread give-and-take of the Kamba cause to the League against Imperialism, the Union of Democratic Control, the Fabians, together with the Workers’ Educational Association. He garnered the back upward of Norman Leys together with William Macmillan past times writing inwards favor of the Kamba position. Another ally, Isher Dass, spoke nigh the Kamba’s instance to the Republic of Kenya Legislative Council.
Samuel Kivuitu- old Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Republic of Kenya was from Kamba tribe
When the colonial officials arrived at Iveti (a locality inside the Machakos reserve), the Kamba people at that spot refused to have got their livestock branded. To intimidate the Kamba people into subjugation, authorities officials seized 2,500 Kamba cattle together with grazed them exterior of the reserve.
Kitili Mwendwa; The First African Chief Justice of indepence Republic of Kenya is a Kamba tribe man
The Kamba people, inwards all but 1 case, did non violently resist the taking of their cattle. The officials stated that they would only render a moo-cow to its possessor if the possessor agreed to create it. The Kamba stockholders refused to comply amongst the officials’ demands.
This aggressive tactic past times the authorities only fostered to a greater extent than back upward for the Kamba organizers’ drive to halt the destocking. Inspired past times the Kikuyu Central Association, they formed the Ukamba Members Association. Some members explained their conclusion to bring together the Ukamba Members Association amongst their indignation at the unjust seizure of wealth. Others expressed suspicion that the authorities sought to undermine the Kamba provisioning economy, so that they would live forced to labor on the European settlers’ farms.
Residents of Machakos together with elsewhere expressed their back upward past times shunning those who spoke inwards favor of the government’s management program.
Prof Makau W. Mutua, old cabinet minister, old Dean of Law Faculty University Of Nairobi together with electrical current Governor Makueni is from Kamba tribe inwards Kenya
Leaders of the Ukamba Members Association requested a coming together amongst the governor after the cattle raid inwards Iveti but the governor refused. They together with so organized a march of 2,000 people. These Kamba people walked to Nairobi where they remained for 6 weeks until the governor agreed to encounter amongst them inwards Machakos.
The Kamba maintained a respectful tone, fifty-fifty during sit-ins inwards Nairobi. Their activity was covered past times newspapers inwards Britain: The Times, Telegraph, together with the Yorkshire Post, together with through correspondence columns inwards the Manchester Guardian.
In Machakos on 25 August 1938 the Governor announced the destination of compulsory sales of stock. However, he stated that the destocking would continue, including the quotas for private ownership.
Dr Willy Mutunga, electrical current Chief Justice of Republic of Kenya is an ethnic Kamba man
In response to the Kamba’s refusal to sell their stock, a frustrated authorities official inwards September expressed his frustration that the Kamba refused fifty-fifty to negotiate amongst officials.
On 4 Oct the authorities arrested Muindi Mbingu, the most prominent leader of the Ukamba Members Association together with deported him to Lamu. The people continued to boycott voluntary cattle sales.
The government, acting inwards line amongst the Attorney General’s legal advice, decided to render the cattle to the Kamba people; if they had non been claimed together with branded inside a week, to confiscate them.
This computer program was inwards identify through 1 Dec 1938, but was non carried through.
Instead, the authorities returned the seized cattle without farther demands.
The colonial authorities expressed its intentions to go along amongst its terra firma conservation piece of work through educational activity together with voluntary management past times land-owners.
It is possible that the destocking computer program was non carried through for fright of a vehement Kamba uprising. The authorities noticed increased alliance betwixt the Ukamba Members Association together with the Kikuyu Central Association, as good as loyalty toward the Kamba amidst authorities police draw together with ground forces ranks. Following the destination of mandatory destocking, some Ukamba Members Association branches dissolved. Generally, though, the Ukamba Members Association maintained strong support, together with cultivated these seeds of political engagement for a after nationalist movement.
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