Tchopa is a form of performing art that is practiced among Lhomwe communities in southern Malawi. It is usually performed during celebrations after good harvests and successful hunting trips. A Tchopa is offered to an ancestral spirit after calamities such as droughts and disease outbreaks.
Malawi has a rich and diverse ethnic culture, which is one of its best features. There are different styles of dance that exist in Malawi, and different parts of the country have developed them in their own ways. These dances also incorporated elements from other parts of the country.
One of those dances is called Tchopa, also known as Soopa. Originally, this dance is performed by the Lomwe during tribal wars and performed during sacrificial ceremonies when calamity strikes. In the Thyolo, Mulanje, and Chiradzulu districts of Zimbabwe, Tchopa dancing has long been popular. Men used to dance to announce the fact that they had returned following tribal wars.
The Tchopa dance involves the knowledge of particular dancing skills and singing of the area that has been handed down over the years. Every village headman has a small group of Tchopa dancers, whereby twenty to thirty people are in a circle and cross each other, with three drums of different sizes.
The dance originally was performed by older Lhomwe men and women who were the bearers, practitioners, and general custodians of the dance. Each dancer carries packs on their backs in which they carry farming tools, animal skins, puppets, hunting gear, and old kitchen utensils.
The performance involves a combination of dancing and singing. Twenty to thirty dancers cross each other on the ground in a circle. It is also necessary for Tchopa dancers to have knowledge of dances and skills in beating drums and singing. There are three types of drums used in Chopa dance: the larger Mbera drum, the medium Khwinyale drum, and the smaller Namalema drum.
Knowledge and skills of Tchopa are passed from one generation to the next, as they practice sessions and occasionally performances are held. Other key roles among the group include making costumes and drums, as well as percussionists, whistlers, drummers, and dancers.
Nowadays, children increasingly participate in this dance. However, the Tchopa dance strengthens community cohesion among Lhomwe communities, as members help each other when they are in need, such as in times of ill health and bereavement, and provide communal labor to overburdened practitioners. Even so, as today the dance is served mostly as an entertainment form, this tradition is still alive.
Tchopa is a performance art practiced by Lhomwe tribes in southern Malawi.
Malawian culture is marked by music and dancing. Like many other parts of Africa, the people of Malawi have several musical instruments for different types of dances. Different styles of dance exist in Malawi, and different parts of the country have developed them in their own ways. These dances also incorporated elements from other parts of the country. As with other aspects of Malawian culture, dances originate in different parts of the country.
Originally performed by the Lomwe during tribal wars and performed during sacrificial ceremonies when calamity strikes. In the Thyolo, Mulanje, and Chiradzulu districts of Zimbabwe, Tchopa dancing has long been popular. Men used to dance to announce the fact that they had returned following tribal wars.
Tchopa dance is usually performed in celebration of good harvests and successful hunting trips, and after disasters like droughts and outbreaks of disease. It involves the knowledge of particular dancing skills and singing. It also employs three drums of different sizes. Twenty to thirty people are in a circle and cross each other. Every village headman has a small group of Tchopa dancers.
The dance originally was performed by older Lhomwe men and women who were the bearers, practitioners, and general custodians of the dance. Nowadays, children increasingly participate in this dance. Dancers carry packs on their backs in which they carry farming tools, animal skins, puppets, hunting gear, and old kitchen utensils.
The performance involves a combination of dancing and singing, using three different sizes of drums. Twenty to thirty dancers cross each other on the ground in a circle. Some dancers carry rucksacks on their backs that contain items such as farming tools, puppets, hunting gear, and old kitchen utensils. The village headman has his own small group of Tchopa dancers.
Knowledge and skills of Tchopa are passed from one generation to the next, as they practice sessions and occasionally performances are held. Other key roles among the group include making costumes and drums, as well as percussionists, whistlers, drummers, and dancers.
The Tchopa dance strengthens community cohesion among Lhomwe communities, as members help each other when they are in need, such as in times of ill health and bereavement, and provide communal labor to overburdened practitioners.
Today the dance is served mostly as an entertainment form. It is now increasingly performed by older Lhomwe men and women, who are the bearers and practitioners of the dance, as well as the principal custodians.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/tchopa-sacrificial-dance-of-the-lhomwe-people-of-southern-malawi-00999) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiAfrica/Incubator/Stubs/Dance_in_Malawi) (http://jefferson-stamp.blogspot.com/2018/12/technical-details-date-of-issue-12-july.html) (http://www.malawi-india.org/intangible.html) |Subject=dance, Entertainment and Recreation, Ritual |Country=Malawi |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}