Mwinoghe Dance - Malawi

by Gloria Ssali

Title

Mwinoghe Dance - Malawi

Artist

Gloria Ssali

Medium

Drawing - Drawing

Description

MWINOGHE
In the Chisukwa dialect, the word MWINOGHE literally means 'Let us enjoy ourselves thoroughly'. Mwinoghe is an instrumental dance that is popular among people especially school children in Chitipa District of the Northern Region of Malawi. It has been derived from a ceremonial dance of Karonga District called INDINGALA which was originally performed by men brandishing fly-whisks during either the enthrallment of a chief or feast over a dead marauding lion.
Mwinoghe is a relatively recent dance, having been modified from Indingala between 1953 and 1955. In its original form, Mwinoghe was performed during inter-school competition of traditional dances and as a form of entertainment for distinguished visitors to schools. These days it is also danced on days of international significance like the annual Independence Anniversary celebrations.
Mwinoghe has been developed to its present form and made popular since the attainment of independence. The main percussion instruments used in the dance are one big drum called ING'INA and two smaller ones called TWANA, but sometimes a whistle is used. The dancers line up in two straight lines, boys on one side and an equal number of girls on the other, facing one another. While the girls continue dancing in a standing position with their hands raised up, the boys squat down wringing and twisting their bodies, all to the rythm of the instruments. Mwinoghe is therefore a celebration dance.
The girls wear a piece of cloth tied around the waist and reaching down the ankles with a blouse on top, preferably orange or yellow in colour. The boys wear short sleeved shirts and short trousers on top of which they also wear a piece of cloth tied around their waists. They dance bare foot

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October 4th, 2011

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