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ABSTRACT: Vimbuza, one of two Malawian dance forms inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, is a healing ritual practiced by Tumbuka people in Malawi's northern region. Vimbuza refers both to the ailments caused by Vimbuza spirits and the rituals used to heal people with these spirit-induced illnesses. Vimbuza healers diagnose and treat spirit-related illnesses in rituals that combine dress, drumming, singing, and movement. It is sometimes called a "traditional dance" and performed for entertainment rather than healing. Drawing from interviews with practitioners, the general public, and cultural sector professionals, this essay explores the implications of UNESCO recognition for Tumbuka people. Though the impact of Vimbuza's inscription on those most associated with the practice is debatable, it still has local, regional, national, and international value.
Location: Rumphi and Surrounding Districts, Northern Region, Malawi
The geographical center of the Tumbuka people and of Vimbuza is in the Rumphi District in the northern region of Malawi, a small country in south-central Africa (figure 1). Many Tumbuka people also live in the Mzimba District to the south of Rumphi. The Mashawe ritual of the neighboring Tonga ethnic group in the Nkhata Bay District is similar-many say identical-to Vimbuza (Chilivumbo 1972). Though the listing for Vimbuza on the UNESCO website does not include Mashawe, some of the documentation provided by the local UNESCO commission specifies that the two should be considered together. Other ethnic groups living in the region where Vimbuza is practiced also participate in the ritual, especially the Ngoni, who, as a result of conquest, intermarriage, and proximity, share many cultural practices with the Tumbuka. Vimbuza is also practiced in districts bordering those listed above because the district boundaries do not correlate exactly with cultural boundaries, and there are many areas where people of many cultural backgrounds live together and in close proximity.
A majority of the population of Malawi lives in rural settlements. People living in rural villages participate in a variety of occupations and have different lifestyles, though popular discourse in Malawi and across the continent positions rural life as "traditional" or "African" in juxtaposition to "modern" or "Western" ways of living associated with cities and towns. Within and on the outskirts of towns and cities...