MALAWIAN DANCES: GULE WAMKULU

The malawi people are of Bantu origns and comprise of many different ethinics groups. These include Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni and Ngonde. The Chewa people are from the largest part of the population group and are largely in the central and southern parts of Malawi.

Traditional dances of Malawi Chewa's is Gule wamkulu. Among the Chewa tribe, Gule wamkulu (transilated as the "Great dance") was inherited from the tribe past and are performed under circimustances. This dance is also a secret society of the Chewa; an ethinic group of the history, belief system, dances, attire and death. The spirit's world is believed to be presented as Gule Wamkulu.

Gule wamkulu dates back to the great Chewa Empire of the seventeenth centuary. This is performed by Chewa people of Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Gule wamkulu is a dance that accompanies initiation ceremony, weddings, funerals and the installation of chiefs. 

Gule wamkulu was a secret cult, that involves a ritual dance practiced among the Chewa in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. This dance is also intangible heritage cultural sector according to the UNESCO as immigrants constructions are identified through Gule wamkulu.

Gule wamkulu behaves as a multi-state. It is asociety that practices traditional Chewa religion rituals. Its attire illustration depicts a stylised scene of Gule wamkulu with a compilation of structures.

As such, Gule wamkulu legitimates chiefship by linking it to the old Chewa policies and by producing the symbolic elements of an older cultural order.
It is essential feature of the Chewa countryside. Morethan a dance forum, it is a men's organisation and ritual system that is woven into the fabric of the community. As a men's organisation, Gule wamkulu manifests itself in two senses.
It is an ancestoral dance performed by spirits  and animals collectively called (Zilombo) which are masked dancers who perform at the chiefs initiation in his village.

In a less restricted sense, Gule wamkulu is the widest community of male initiates. Every Chewa boy undergoes initiation and consider himself a member of the society.

As a functional tradition, Gule wamkulu provides the basic ritual needs of the men and women, both officiating at funerals at puberty initiation and at the installation of chiefs. As a ritual system, it consolidates a community around local chiefs and impress on the community conceptual categories that make its internal composition coherent.