MALAWI DANCES: THE MGANDA

Malawi is divided into three major political region. Each region is dominated by one or two tribal groups of people. For instance, the Yao and the Lomwe tribes are mainly found in the southern part of the country. The Chewa and Ngoni dominate the central region while the Tumbuka and Tonga occupy a bigger portion of the north.

However, it is interesting to note that in each of the 28 districts of the country, there are almost each of the tribal members kiving in harmony with the rest. Intermarriages further strengthens the bonds of relationship.

Each of the tribes performs their traditional dances for particular functio s or ceremonies and these traditional dances help to spice up the dailt lives of African people.
As villagers live in small communities, their daily activities are linked and do most actinities together. Families bring food and eat together. The farm together from one family's farm they rotate to the next.

THE MGANDA.
Like other dances, Mganda is common among the chewa tribe of central region of Malawi. This is probably the second most most populated dance after Gule wamkulu among the Chewa. It is practiced mostly in such districts as Dowa, Lilongwe, Ntchisi, Dedza and Kasungu, and is primarily  an entertainment dance performed during wedding ceremonies. The dancers are usually in a group of 6 to 10, sometimes more with a drummer in front of the dancers.

A Mganda group captured as it was entertaining people when The Malawi Project was donating medical supplies to a hospital in Dowa.

Men who form two or three lines facing the same direction perform it, but as they dance, they systematically face all direction s. The dancers hold small flags and a "badza" (made from gourd).

If Mganda is performed during wedding ceremonies, entertained viewers throw money to the most entertaining dancer. After the perfimance, the group is awarded/paid for the performance. Apart from entertaining alone, the dance is a source of income for the members.

Mganda is also perfomed merely for entertainment on functions such as political party rallies. Just like the sister dance, Chimtali (perfomed by women) Mganda is also perfomed during night under the moonlight in villages for entertainment.
People come from all corners of the village and surrounding villages to watch men dancing. It therefore proves and shows the unity these dances brings in everyday life of people.