Uploaded by jfvanolden
Date uploaded: 2007-05-30
Length: 5:36 minutes
Viewed: 17804 times
Average Rating: 4.5 (17 votes)
Description: Initiation and celebration dance from the Malawian ethnic group Chewa. It is called Gule wamkulu and means 'big dance'.
Channel: Travel & Events
africa big dance malawi Gule Wamkulu 3 Video
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Yigg
Mister Wong
Taggle
Allactu
Hatena
Root AceAh ok - I suppose it is so fast that its hard to pick up the actual words
mwai72
@jfvanolden am not sure if they are known as 'spirits' even tho there is alot of spiritism involved in 'thier' world, they are commly known as 'Dzilombo' or 'Nyau'..which is to say 'Animals' or 'beasts'? idk if that translates correctly, but clearly they dont want to be known as humans, sort of our own version of 'Kikimora'
mwai72
@paulhadcock they do speak intelligible chichewa, even tho for some reason they feel they have to do so in an uncomfortable high pitch....i remember running away from them too, they can be intimidating at times.
Bantubrotha
Hello I lived in Malawi for 5 years and only seen the day 2 times can you share the meaning I love this
barphil
Great video. Check out mine in the response
zitsiru
look these guys and then watch Jacko, Beyonce, james brown, videos and stuff, just look at the choreography, noone teaches them the moves of coz they practice, man listen to message and the melodies and the hamonies, this is like raw no computer massage of sound, picture or whatsoever, its all african, its an inborn thing, we own the choreography- these guys spent like years and lots of money to copy moves going to schools, next time pay attention to chris brown its all DNA.
chideza
vakwathu vilombo kochitukula ... thanx 4 uploading love it, remind me home
lloydmataka
Kodi ndi a nyolonyo amenewa?
jfvanolden
Thank you for your reactions!Indeed they talk as spirits. Members of the Gule wamkulu (the inititiated) have their own language. These two people you see moving are not people, they are spirits. The reason you see no skin or hands can make children (and some women) believe that they are not human. greetings to the world, feye
paulhadcock
Hi,I was born in Malawi and stayed there till I was seven-and every time we went to the lake-these guys would come out and scare me. I would see one and have to run and hide in one of the tents/houses...none chased me in but the local girls would also run like hell.Just a question-my father said that these guys didn't speak words as such but spoke to each other using just the word "gule". Is this true?It seems that they do this in the first part of the video...
mswhite25
Thank you for the info. My travel leader did tell us we had to wear long skirts. Any other "good to know" info you may have will be appreciated.
marleymike2
I didnt post it
marleymike2
Good luck with that.The gule wamkulus themselves are not taboo, just merely part of their culture. The gule wamkulus hide their identities from other villagers and have days on which all G.W.s come out and celebrate. If you are going to Malawi then I suggest that you join one of the overlander groups. They walk from village to village and see the real side of Africa. Also if any women are with you makes sure that they cover their thighs properly, with a skirt. Otherwise they may be attacked.
mswhite25
I am traveling to Malawi in the future months and I want to research the people, the culture, politics, etc...; and I want to know if you know of some good sources. I also want to know what exactly is the taboo associated with the Gule wamkulu?
Azizip17
Thanks for posting this well produced video. marleymike2 and dr87lee, your comments are interesting. Thanks for sharing real life experiences of and attitudes about the Gule wamkulus. MrNight, the way these dancers look also reminds me of Bermuda's Gombey dancers. Has anyone who has done research on the source of that Caribbean tradition mentioned these dancers, or has the source/s of the Gombey been traced to other traditional African cultures? Thanks again!
MrNightro
Now I see where the origins of the Bermuda Gombeys came from.
jfvanolden
this is culture, i hear good and bad things about it, that's how it goes. The dances themselves are great and beautiful. thanks for your comment, it's appreciated.
marleymike2
The Gule wamkulus are so disturbing in real life. They chase the scared children and make threatening movements. My friend ran a Gule wamkulu over (unintentionally) and he reported it to the local police. They did not charge him because they say that the Gule Wamkuls are only spirits. The dance themselves into trances and are generally ominous. All the time I lived in Milawi i never heard or saw a good thing about a Gule Wamkulu
quietstorm9421
This was fantastic! It brought back memories of my african dance classes I took in highschool. There is something about the drum beats that go straight through me and make me want to dance.
fyabun
In the west we have all the equipment and still can't create this vibe. Oh and by the way does Mick Jagger really think he can dance. Have none of his friends ever told him that he looks like a gay, headless, epileptic chicken?
Zotsala
Thanks for the effort I like Gulewamkulu very much.
wolf1951
great performers great performancedrumming, singing, dancingthis means to have culturethank you for sharing
dr87lee
i remember how i used to run away whenever i see those dancers when i was young...that was 2 childish. bt now im proud of my culture dan ever b4. i love malawi, kwathu kumeneku...
richardnewman80
where was this filmed?
qualitydag
Very dramatic and authentic.