Umutomboko Traditional Ceremony, Zambia.

Mwata Kazembe

The Mutomboko traditional Ceremony is the ceremony of the Lunda people of Zambia. This colourful and beautiful ceremony falls on the last Saturday of July annually. This ceremony is the celebration performed after winning a battle. In the old days, it was celebrated by dancing and drinking off course after winning the battle. But with time, there were no mars or battles, the celebration started to fade till 1971 when it was made an official annual celebration during the Mwata Kazembe XVII Paul Kanyembo Lutaba's tenth anniversary of the instalment.

The Mwata being carried to a central ground

This event is held in Luapula Province, north of Zambia at Mwansabombwe village. It is a two day ceremony. Chief Mwata Kazembe opens the ceremony by performing traditional rituals at various sacred locations both within and outside the palace. Covered in white powder, the Mwata receives gifts of food and drinks from his subjects leading to the feasting and celebrations. This is on the first day.

The second day begins with an animal being slaughtered and the Mwata is carried by eight men to a central ground where the people cheer and shoot volley in the distance, it is here where he performs the Umutomboko; a Lunda dance of victory and the climax of the ceremony. There is a lot of symbolic dances performed by the Mwata. As he continues to dance, he points his sword to the north, east, south, west and finally to the sky and the ground, symbolising that only God and death can conquer him. The ceremony concludes when the Mwata is carried back to his fortress.

VISIT;Umutomboko Site for more information.

PICTURES

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The Ngoni people of Zambia

                                      
            
                                                              THE PEOPLE;
The Ngoni people are originally from South Africa. They were fleeing from Shaka Zulu and they migrated into Eastern Zambia and adopted the fighting tactics of Shaka to conquer the people that they found in that land. The Ngony people speak chichewa, the language of the people they conquered. Their traditional ceremony is called "Nc'wala", this is a thanksgiving ceremony held every year at Mtenguleni Village.

                                THE NC'WALA CEREMONY IN PICTURES.

And you can check out the video below on youtube of the famous Ngoni dance.

I AM FROM BAROTSELAND.

THE BAROSTE FLAG!

I am a half Bemba and half Lozi. my mother was from the Northern Province of Zambia..,from the Bemba tribe. and my father was from the Western Province..a Lozi from the Barotseland. Traditionally, we follow the father's side which makes me a Lozi woman. particular from the town of Kaoma, that's my village. As i mentioned before, we have about 72 languages in Zambia..,i can speak a bit of Lozi, am fluent in Bemba, Nyanja and Nsenga. I can speack a bit of Namwanga and Chewa.

Anyway, am here to talk about Barotseland and the Lozi people. In Zambia, each tribe has their own traditional ceremonies and the Lozi traditional ceremony is one of the most colourful and the most visited a year. Its called the Kuomboka Ceremony. This event is held annually between March and April. This is done just after the rain season and actually ''kuomboka'' means coming out of the water. This is when the Litunga (the King) is moving from his Palace in Lealui and going to higher grounds in Limulunga. Basically he is moving from a flooded area to a dry high ground. This the most beautiful and colourful ceremony in Zambia. it attracts hundreds of people all over the world.

And below is our Vice President Dr Guy Scott with his wife Charlotte Scott dressed in the traditional dresses...,called the Musis.

And down below you can see lozi women dressed in these colourfull dresses dancing and singing.

Am a PROUD Lozi ZAMBIAN Woman!!!!!!!!!!!