Tawanda Marwizi
HARARE – Ten provinces battle it out at the annual Chibuku Neshamwari traditional dance competition that will be held at Manicaland Show grounds in Mutare.
With globalisation diluting most cultures, this competition sponsored by Delta Beverages for almost 55 years, has managed to keep the momentum of traditional dance and its importance to societies.
Winners will walk away with $7000 and this year they have added an air ticket to China, a move that enhances cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The competition has however, revived memories of why people would go for different traditional dances in the past.
Several interesting themes were depicted in different dances.
For instance, dances like Bira—a traditional ceremony done when people were communicating with ancestors—is popular in Mwenezi, Masvingo.
Interestingly young boys would unite and make a Chikoto dance as a way of proposing love to girls in the community. Young girls would then select men from the dance floor.
Mbeulani is another popular dance in parts like Chikombedzi, and this was a young girl’s dance towards marriage. It was during this time when elders from the society assess if their daughters were energetic in bed as well as their fertility.
Other popular dances are the Jerusarema Mbende practiced by the Zezuru Shona people living in eastern Zimbabwe.
The dance is characterised by flexible and physical movements by women and men, driven by a polyrhythmic drummer as they play woodblock clappers, blowing whistles with women handclapping.
Muchongoyo is another dance that has won the hearts of many people, with this dance mainly for celebrations of the rainy season.
With all these type of dances practiced in different parts of the country, Delta Beverages has tried to keep the momentum alive by sponsoring the biggest competition in the country.
However, some pundits have questioned the capacity of the competition to stand the heat of globalisation that has diluted several local cultures.
Cities have provided some better venues for the competition but rural growth points and townships would be ideal for the competition as it keeps the momentum alive.
This year’s completion will see, Jerusarema-Mbende ensemble Makarekare representing Mashonaland East while Mashonaland Central will be represented by Guruve Marimba group which specialises with dinhe dance.
A nsenga gure dance group Chabvondoka Gure will stand in for Mashonaland West, Khaya Arts will represent Bulawayo.
Bolamba Arts will stand in for Matabeleland South as they battle for the top honours with their tsutsube a Tswana type of dance.
Mbende Jerusarema ensemble group Dhuma Tasangana will stand for the host, while Madzimbahwe Traditional Dance Group will stand for Masvingo with their majukwa dance.
Harare will be represented by Maramuro, a nyau group while Mbaba will stand in for Midlands province.
Last year, Bulawayo-based Ezimnyama Dance Ensemble won the Chibuku Neshamwari national finals held in Bulawayo, pocketing the first prize of $7000.
Founded in 1963, Chibuku Neshamwari is sponsored by Delta Beverages through their Chibuku brand and co-ordinated by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe in partnership with Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association.
