CULTURAL enthusiasts are in for a treat this Saturday as this year’s edition of the annual Chamba Chamakolo Gule Wamkulu festival comes to life in Harare’s Mufakose suburb.
Deemed the largest gathering to celebrate and showcase the enigmatic Gule Wamkulu culture in the country, the event will run under the theme Cultural Exchange and Shading Grey Areas where Gule Wankulu is Misunderstood.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, the festival’s co-organiser Tinei Notis Mazura, also known as Boss Bingu, said it was all systems go for the all-night display of Chewa culture at the venue located at the corner of Crowborough Way and Mutamba Drive.
“This is a non-profit, non-political and family-friendly cultural event aimed at celebrating and preserving Chewa heritage through traditional Gule Wamkulu dance performances,” said Boss Bingu, who is also the founder of Bingu Village Promotions.
“Chamba Chamakolo means ‘the sacred energy of our ancestors’ and we are holding this celebration to preserve the Chewa culture, to educate one another and stay united as people from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique.”
Co-organiser of the fete Chief Marimo said Nyau culture had transcended the confines of its origins, making it imperative to educate more people about it through the event.
“Chamba Chamakolo is no longer just a local event, it’s a cultural wave spreading from Mufakose to the world,” he said.
“Through this fiesta, Gule Wamkulu is on the rise and the world is watching.”
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Meanwhile, an array of cultural groups and artists will take turns to entertain community elders and the general public, according to Boss Bingu.
While the much-anticipated festival will maintain its stance towards dispelling misconceptions around Gule Wamkulu practices across the region, he added that it also marked the beginning of a movement advocating against the rampant scourge of drug and substance abuse bedevilling communities.
“From the drums to the masks and Kapoli to Kamwimwi, we gather not only to dance, but to declare that we are the custodians of Chewa heritage. We say no to drugs, yes to identity and yes to unity through culture,” Boss Bingu added.
