Oral Poetry from Africa
A song performed to accompany the rituals of the masked dancers, the Gule Wamkulu, a secret initiatory society othat exists in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique (see also the Gule Wamkulu Funeral Song).
This Gule Wamkulu song was recorded at Njombwa Village, Kasungu District in Malawi. The singers lament the death of the wise elders who can no longer provide guidance to the living.
The elders are gone
Gone to the grave
There’s nowhere for us to go!..
Gule Wamkulu is a secret initiatory society of men from Chewa-speaking communities in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique. The dancers wear masks personifying the spirits of ancestors and sacred animals native to the lands. They perform primarily at funerals and memorial services but also at celebrations. This performance was recorded at Mkuwazi Village in the Salima district of Malawi.
Bury me on the veranda
Bury me on the veranda
Eyeee… so that when my mother
Should see me and say I am dead…
