A NIGHT with the ZAMBEZI DOLLS

the Makishi Dancers of People's Imports

this poor dancer was returned

the "cosmic dancer"

Here at Peoples Imports, there are a lot of unusual items for sale. Some of them possibly remind folks of
voodoo dolls;  these could be due to cultural associations, and prejudices.
The only time an item has been returned due to "bad juju" has been with one of these four small "Zambezi Dolls." This interaction still bothers me a little to this day, so a little "exploration" is necessary.


Here is the doll that was returned. At the top are the dolls as a group.

 One of them is smaller, and has a more intense, tooth-bearing look than the others.  Initially I thought that he was portraying "scary" but after a few hours around him, he is the most intense dancer of all. Of the four, i call him the "cosmic dancer" ...as in Marc Bolan of T-Rex. I start imagining the four dancing together around the store, as a musical group. They are anything but "bad juju" - in fact, they have the same essence that made early rock and roll unsettling to 1950s America  - raw emotion.

The tags associate the dolls with "Makishi Dancers, Luvale People."
[Luvale are a Bantu speaking tribe related to Chokwe to the west (Angola), who are famous for their masks, which we carry in our retail store.]

"The Lovale, Chokwe, Luchazi and Mbunda are famous for the Makishi dancers who perform a masquerade in intricate masks and costumes." The names of the characters
include Pwebo and Chizaluke.
^ "The Makarishi Masquerade",
http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/42afr_uk.htm

The Makishi dancers are associated with coming-of-age ceremonies. "The Makishi attach themselves to the world of spirits and demons and, while dancing, lose their personal identity, becoming the character they portray."
http://soulsafari.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/even-more-african-tribal-dances-shangaan-makishi-dancers-

Here is video footage of the Makishi/Zambezi dancers from Victoria Falls area. It's pretty awe-inspiring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyM3K61pzdILocations where Makishi dancing can be found include:
-Lusaka, Zambia - capital city, the 20th century city, at the southern end of the central plateau
-the middle/ lower Zambezi River valley, which divides Zambia and Zimbabwe, from Livingstone,  Zambia and Victoria Falls upstream to Kariba Lake downstream. 

Victoria Falls is at once a natural wonder and a colonial center where many old European developments and names remain.



What some might call "bad juju" most likely means "fear of primal emotions" and so, if you desire to have this
primal energy around, we have a few friends you might want to meet!

 

dancing around the store at night

DOLL DETAILS:
$30 each

8.5" tall "cosmic dancer", 3-4" wide
all others 11" tall, 3-5" wide
very light

material: Sweetgrass, Raffia, painted burlap, wire underframes
 
www.peoplesimports.com