This weekend we were lucky enough to visit the annual Kulamba Ceremony. This celebrates the freedom and culture of the Chewa people - the tribe is spread across eastern Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Thousands of people travelled from all over to be there. We were told that if we went then we'd be ushered into a VIP area (just because we are white). So we planned to visit on our way to Chipata.
The location was somewhere just the other side of Katete - we were told we couldn't miss it. As we got into Katete we realised how many more people there were than usual. Anyone with a flat bed truck was doing a sterling job of ferrying people out of town. I have never seen so many people on the back of a truck or rammed in a car before. No one seemed bothered if their bodywork was rubbing on the tyres - the smell though was quite something. Occasionally I did wonder what these guys mum's would think if they could see this - then I realised the mums were probably on the truck too!
On the walk up to the event (the directions were accurate, you couldn't miss it) we passed hundreds of stalls selling everything from flip flops to dried fish (it stinks!) to radios to clothes pegs. Also, large quantities of clothing shipped from Europe. My brother likes to think he got bargain jeans in Primark (I think they cost £2.50) - he was ripped off. The guys here were offering them for less than 50p. Admittedly slightly holey but still... There were also a great many bags with 'London' and a picture of Tower Bridge at night on them - in all the dust and heat it was odd to think I'd been stood looking at that view barely a week and a half earlier! It also made me think about the complaints that the Olympics had become too commercial - this appears to be standard practice at all large events globally!
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| Fish anyone? |
The main event was in a purpose built 'arena'. There was a raised circular stage topped in mud, surrounded by stands (essentially concrete platforms with sun shades). The army (or similar) was controlling the crowds trying to get close enough to see through the stands. We found a clear area between two of the stands. Will, desperate to get close enough to take photos, marched forwards. After a few seconds the rest of us, not wanting to be separated, walked forward awkwardly. We couldn't just walk in, could we? It turned out quite rapidly that this space was only free because it was the main entrance for performers. One of the army guys came over and told us to move. Will had already made a dash for the group of photographers in the centre. The 5 of us were ushered to the Zesco sponsored stand (thank you Zesco but I would thank you more if you could keep the electricity on...) and given chairs.
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| Fi and Nat boldly stride forward.... |
Now, it's hard to understand what's going on when you don't speak the language. Geoff and I were making good guesses and, whilst I know the guys sat around us could understand what we were saying, no one seemed bothered enough to fill us in. Broadly, each of the sub-tribes was represented by its traditional dancers - these were all covered in mud with feathers or tassels at the knee, elbow and neck and wearing masks. The masks were quite scary and either human or animal. There was also a large chicken outfit (that guy must have been boiling) and some other weird creatures. The dancing was amazing and I had to keep pinching myself to remind me that this wasn't some contrived show for tourists, this was for the Chewa people.
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| Will using his much better camera! |
A lot of the performers and audience were wearing specially printed clothing (tunics, chitengas etc) with a man's face on. All of a sudden everyone stood up, we stood up. A huge procession came in. I admit I was slightly distracted by the sound of the crowd behind us complaining that we were blocking their view - the two army guys were having a bit of trouble stopping a riot from starting. Anyway, the guy in the picture (wearing a white hat) was brought to the stand close to us. This is the King of the Chewa people. He was settled on an armchair (faded and like something out of a nursing home) surrounded by elephant tusks, a lion skin and a leopard skin. He had his own guards dressed in red and like Masai, with bows and arrows.
Amongst other events there was a session where people brought the King gifts. It was almost unbelievable and he was going to need several lorries to take it all home. One wonders how many mattresses one man needs, and stoves. There was even an entire bedstead with hard wood headboard, cupboards and dressing table with mirror!
After getting in the way some more and managing to get between the proper VIP stand and the stage we decide to head off to Chipata. 6 cheeseburgers and 5 swims later we are ready to hit the supermarket. I think I was the cleanest at that point that I have been since leaving the UK! Just as I'm lining up to take a photo of a sign that says 'Fatti's and Moni's' the lights go out. Immediately the security guys throw the doors shut. Then start searching the aisles for shoplifters. Eventually they decide it might be nice to turn on the back up generator. Clearly the rest of us had nothing better to be doing with our time.
However, this adventure and some faffing means that we don't set off back before 5.30pm. This is bad news. Very bad news. Sunset is at 5.45. It goes pitch black at 6pm. The one thing you never do around here is drive at night. Not only are we driving along the main east west road - don't be thinking it's a motorway - it's single carriageway, has pedestrians/cyclists/dogs all over it, is unlit, is used by massive lorries all the time and has pot holes and mostly unmarked speed bumps. But it's the end of the Kulamba ceremony and half of Malawi is heading for the border. We are the only car for miles going West... Nat's 'smile' mix had been keeping us entertained but soon the tension in the car starts to increase. I'm wedged in the boot (on a proper fold down chair with a 3 point seatbelt - fear not) with all the shopping, which doesn't really increase comfort but I'm happily singing along to the songs. If they didn't go so slowly, I was tempted to tell us to tuck up behind the one lorry we find going our way, at least then if someone strays over towards us they'll meet the lorry first. The back seat drivers are silenced eventually and we plough on. It was with a mixture of relief and renewed concern that we reach the Kulamba turning. We are nearly home but we are now surrounded by drunk people. Mostly on vehicles or walking but some driving.
The pace slowed. We count over 50 people on the back of one truck. If it had an accident that would fill an entire ward at the hospital. There aren't enough doctors (even with us back) to deal with any significant accident tonight. As we pull into the driveway there is a deep sigh of relief. Note to us - next time we will leave the pool earlier - driving in the dark is for idiots...
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