The Cultural Politics of a Traditional Ceremony
Mutomboko and the Performance of History on the Luapula (Zambia)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2108267 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David Gordon (0000-0002-9557-7405, University of Maryland, College Park, corresponding author), David M Gordon (0000-0002-2880-3003) |
| Year | 2004 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 63-83 |
| Publication date | 2004-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Comparative Studies in Society and History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0010-4175 • E-ISSN: 1475-2999 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0010417504000040 |
| OpenAlex | W2109018209 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
During the last week of July, the people of the lower Luapula Valley in northern Zambia gather in the village of Mwansabombwe to celebrate their Lunda traditions and their paramount, Mwata Kazembe. For days prior to the main event, pubs serve bottled beer, much of it imported from nearby Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to quench the thirst of guests who have arrived in the hot, dusty village; women from different village sections deliver pots of millet beer to Mwata Kazembe's palace; and the youth organize special sports competitions and cultural events. Toward the weekend when the main festivities are to take place provincial, and on occasion national political and military dignitaries dressed in their suits and ties arrive. On Saturday afternoon, following the performance of certain rituals in the morning, chiefs, headmen, state dignitaries, and the villagers crowd together in a stadium on the outskirts of Mwansabombwe. A dignitary delivers a speech that highlights the importance of culture and tradition for progress, development, and national well-being. Listening to the national leadership's calls for the preservation of these traditions are chiefs and headman, who appear in the traditional Lunda garb of long imikonso skirts (sing. umukonso), leather inshipo belts and ututasa crowns (sing. akatasa). After the speeches, on the instruction of Mwata Kazembe, selected aristocrats and members of the royal family dance. The day's events culminate in Mwata Kazembe performing the Lunda dance of conquest, the Mutomboko
Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Ceremony · Dance · Democracy · Political science · Politics · State (computer science · Visual arts · African history and culture studies · History · Law
| Citations per year | 0.3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2006 - 2019 (14) |
| Highly cited | No |