New DVD from Kungoni Centre in Mua, Malawi
This documentary, produced by Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art, presents a collection of 160 Gule characters filmed by Claude Boucher Chisale over 25 years (1988 to 2012) in the central Malawian areas of Mua, Mtakataka, Kapiri and Golomoti.
It reveals Gule Wamkulu as the storehouse of Chewa culture, showing the richness, creativity and originality of the Great Dance, which is placed at the service of the Mwambo, the teaching of the ancestors.
The film offers first-hand experience of the tremendous variety of characters and seeks to understand their hidden messages. It comprises a selection of sequences taken from the 800 hours of filming that Boucher has completed during these last three decades.
The key to an in-depth understanding of the Gule characters is to be found in Boucher’s two recent publications: “When Animals Sing and Spirits Dance’ (Oxford 2012) and its accompanying website; www.kasiyamaliro.org.
The DVD introduces the author and illustrates the numerous contexts in which Gule Wamkulu is performed: rain ceremonies, initiation, chieftainship, eldership, spirit possession, funeral commemoration, institutional and village festivals and political and health development rallies. The 160 Gule characters selected for this production are then presented in alphabetical order.
The film offers a full visual experience of what has been described in the two publications mentioned above. It complements the publications and invites deeper immersion into Chewa culture.
@ Kungoni 2012. Running time: 121 minutes.
Category: Malawi Sector
News and events of Malawi Sector of SAP
New DVD from Kungoni Centre in Mua, Malawi
This documentary, produced by Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art, presents a collection of 160 Gule characters filmed by Claude Boucher Chisale over 25 years (1988 to 2012) in the central Malawian areas of Mua, Mtakataka, Kapiri and Golomoti.
It reveals Gule Wamkulu as the storehouse of Chewa culture, showing the richness, creativity and originality of the Great Dance, which is placed at the service of the Mwambo, the teaching of the ancestors.
The film offers first-hand experience of the tremendous variety of characters and seeks to understand their hidden messages. It comprises a selection of sequences taken from the 800 hours of filming that Boucher has completed during these last three decades.
The key to an in-depth understanding of the Gule characters is to be found in Boucher’s two recent publications: “When Animals Sing and Spirits Dance’ (Oxford 2012) and its accompanying website; www.kasiyamaliro.org.
The DVD introduces the author and illustrates the numerous contexts in which Gule Wamkulu is performed: rain ceremonies, initiation, chieftainship, eldership, spirit possession, funeral commemoration, institutional and village festivals and political and health development rallies. The 160 Gule characters selected for this production are then presented in alphabetical order.
The film offers a full visual experience of what has been described in the two publications mentioned above. It complements the publications and invites deeper immersion into Chewa culture.
@ Kungoni 2012. Running time: 121 minutes.
Lilongwe, Malawi (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Bishops of Malawi have expressed gratitude for the solution to a serious two week tug of war between the government and civil servants demanding a 67% pay rise. Protests caused serious social disruption. The authorities have agreed on a 61% per cent increase to the lowest salaries and 5% to the highest ones.
In a statement sent to Fides by the Bishops’ Commission for Justice and Peace, the Catholic Church in Malawi, tracing the roots of the trade union crisis, takes a position regarding the economic crisis which has afflicted the country for some time. The statement says the decision to devaluate Malawi Kwacha and continued floatation and the linkage of the fuel prices to the global market prices leading to automatic fuel price adjustments is worsening the economic situation of the people.
The Commission also criticises certain economic moves of the government such as the decision to privilege some investments over others.
These economic measures, say “Justice and Peace” have created a serious social fracture. “Malawi is seriously entrenching a two-tier society with over 80% of the population struggling to survive and depending on poor, over-stretched and quality-compromised public service delivery; while the 20% are affording privatized education, health and security services.” the statement affirms “This 20% of the population that is able is creating a section of passive and irresponsive citizenry that has become silent to the plight and cries of the majority poor”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 25/2/2013)
Dear All,
This morning we received the sad news that Pierre Kuppens, Jos’ elder brother, has died. He suffered a brain haemorrhage on Wednesday and passed away at about 9 o’clock. Pierre leaves a wife and three grown children. May his soul rest in peace.
Let us keep Jos Kuppens and his family in our prayers at this sad time.
Yours,
William Turnbull Sector Superior-Malawi Message sent on the 22nd February 2013
William Turnbull Sector Superior-Malawi Message sent on the 22nd February 2013
The increase in electricity tariffs is leading to Service Exclusion
Addressing poverty continues to be identified as a major challenge for Malawian society and has been a central topic that successive governments have attempted to tackle or at least pretended to do so. Commitments in Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), pronouncements in the newly launched Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) and various key government documents underscore that view. However, in spite of all these attempts to address poverty the reality is grim: poverty in Malawi remains severe and widespread – a situation that leaves millions to grapple, on a daily basis, with the unabating increase in food and essential non-food commodities. The ever rising cost of living presents to the country an extremely serious challenge upon which all efforts must be concentrated so as to ease people’s daily suffering. (…)
– Father Jean Arnaud, French, Chezi Parish – Father Claude Boucher, Canadian, Kungoni Centre – Father Christophe Boyer, French, Lilongwe, CfSC – Father Michel Côté, Canadian, Lilongwe, Sector House – Father Richard Deschênes, Canadian, Mzuzu – Father Filiyanus Ekka, Indian, Chezi Parish – Father Ortega Julio Feliu, Spanish, Lilongwe, Sector House – Father Bonaventure Gubazire, Ugandan, Balaka, Lechaptois – Father Sebastien Kalengwe, Congolese, Mua Parish – Father Simeon Kalore, Ethiopian, Chezi Parish, Father Julian Kasiya, Malawian, Mua Parish – Father Willem Kerkhof, Dutch, Lilongwe, Sector House – Father Jos Kuppens, Dutch, Lilongwe, CfSC – Father Michael Mawelera, Malawian, Balaka, Lechaptois – Father Philip Meraba, Nigerian, Lilongwe, Kanengo – Father Didasio Mwanza, Zambian, Balaka, Lechaptois – Father Paul Namono, Burkinabe, Mua Parish – Father Brendan O’Shea, Irish, Mua Parish – Jacques Pallas, Canadian, Lilongwe, Sector House – Bishop Rémi Sainte-Marie, Canadian, Lilongwe – Father Michel Sanou, Burkinabe, Lilongwe, Kanengo – Father Robert Tebri, Ghanaian, Balaka, Lechaptois – Father William Turnbull, British, Lilongwe, CfSC – Father Piet van Hulten, Dutch, Mzuzu – Father Moïse Kombe Yébédié, Malian, Chezi Parish