Mooba Dance is a prevalent spiritual dance that is performed to invoke the ancestral spirits of the Bene Mukuni of Central Province, Zambia, and has been practiced since the pre-colonial period. Due to its entertaining nature, Mooba is performed at public social events.
Zambians practice different ceremonies and rituals, ranging from those nationally recognized to those that are unrecognized but still important. They are performed on special occasions to celebrate or mark achievements such as anniversaries, time passing, coronations and presidential occasions. They atone for past sins, purify the soul, mark graduation, complete dedication to a person, mark marriage, a funeral or a birth.
Zambia practices both the known and unknown ceremonies and rituals that are common to most countries in Africa. One of the ethnic groups in Zambia is Lenje. They are living mainly in Central Zambia, but also in the Copperbelt. The Lenje people are loosely geographically bound – it’s believed that they have lived in the area at least since the seventeenth century.
The Lenje's primary religion is ethnoreligious, which is deeply rooted in the ethnic identity of a people and involves cultural assimilation through conversion. The major dance of the Lenje ethnic group in the Central Province of Zambia is Mooba, the dance has been performed since pre-colonial times.
It is also performed by both men and women in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces. Sometimes, at the peak of the performance, the dancers will be possessed by ancestral spirits called BaChooba, who will dictate how the dance will flow, along with drumming and singing. But Men and women dancers also can be possessed by the spirits of the BaChooba.
The costumes include beads, skirts called Buyombo, and rattles worn around the calves. The main dancers also hold a spiritual stick called the Chimika and a bird's wing-like winding device known as a Mooba. The dance serves both entertainment functions and healing functions, contributing to the spiritual identity of the community.
When Mooba dance is performed during public social events, children are allowed to learn it freely. While they are entertaining in nature, they attract a broad audience in their public performances. People from the Lenje community are well-acquainted with the Mooba dance, as it is their main dance. However, Lenje groups have been formed that perform wherever they are invited to, allowing the practice to spread further afield.
Essentially, it is a prevalent spiritual dance that is performed to invoke the ancestral spirits of the Bene Mukuni of Central Province, which has been practiced since the pre-colonial period. Due to its entertaining nature, Mooba is performed at public social events.
Zimbabweans practice many different ceremonies and rituals, ranging from those nationally recognized to those that are unrecognized but still important. They are performed on special occasions to celebrate or mark achievements, to mark anniversaries, to mark time passing, to mark coronations and presidential occasions, to atone for past sins, to purify the soul, to mark a graduation, to complete dedication to a person, to swear one's allegiance, to initiate, to be married, to have a funeral or a birth. Zambia practices both the known and unknown ceremonies and rituals that are common to most countries in Africa. One of the ethnic groups in Zambia is Lenje. Lenje people also known as Bene Mukuni, Balenje, Balenge, Benimukuni, Ciina mukuna, Lenge, Leng. They are living mainly in Central Zambia, but also in the Copperbelt. The Lenje people are loosely geographically bound. It is believed that they have lived in the area at least since the seventeenth century. The Lenje's primary religion is ethnoreligious, which is deeply rooted in the ethnic identity of a people and involves cultural assimilation through conversion. The major dance of the Lenje ethnic group in the Central Province of Zambia is Mooba. Mooba dance performed since pre-colonial times. It is also performed by both men and women in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces. Sometimes, at the peak of the performance, the dancers will be possessed by ancestral spirits called BaChooba, who will dictate how the dance will flow, along with drumming and singing. But Men and women dancers also can be possessed by the spirits of the BaChooba. The costumes include beads, skirts called Buyombo, and rattles worn around the calves. The main dancers also hold a spiritual stick called the Chimika and a bird's wing-like winding device known as a Mooba. The dance serves both entertainment functions and healing functions, contributing to the spiritual identity of the community.
When Mooba dance is performed during public social events, children are allowed to learn it freely. While they are entertaining in nature, they attract a broad audience in their public performances. People from the Lenje community are well-acquainted with the Mooba dance, as it is their main dance. However, Lenje groups have also been formed that perform wherever they are invited to, allowing the practice to spread further afield.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mooba-dance-of-the-lenje-ethnic-group-of-central-province-of-zambia-01372) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambia) (https://www.zambiatourism.com/about-zambia/people/) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenje_people) (https://www.peoplegroups.org/Explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=15590) (http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/unesco-certifies-mooba/) |Subject=Belief, dance, Music, Ritual |Country=Zambia |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}