Dance & Culture

“Leadership is a skill. You cannot become a good leader if you do not take the suggestions of your followers into consideration.” So said Mbuiseni Madida the Malogwane (leader) of Makonde-Shadani Tshikona traditional dance group.

Madida said many people took his role very lightly and did not hold him in high esteem. “I’m a leader in my own right and not many people will be able to do what I do to make sure that the group is run smoothly on a daily basis. Managing more than 50 people needs perseverance, dedication and understanding them individually.”

He said he was never nominated to be a group leader but it just came automatically. “Some leaders are made and some, like me, are natural leaders. I started participating in tshikona dancing at a very young age. I would follow my elders when they practised musanda. During that time, I became the youngest member of a tshikona dance group and people were impressed by my exceptional dancing abilities.” He said that, for many years, no tshikona group existed in Makonde-Shadani and he played a major role in reviving the dance group. “We had to start from scratch to get the boys together and acquire the horns. It was very difficult then because most of the boys were attending school. The only option was to do our rehearsals during weekends, and it worked.”

Madida said the group now enjoyed popularity as they were invited to perform at different events in the village and further afield. “People are now taking us seriously because we add taste to their events, especially traditional occasions such as the installation of traditional leaders and burials of royal family members.”

His role includes making sure that rehearsals are taking place on a weekly basis and that the horns and the drums are kept safely. “When we perform, all the group members keep an eye on me because, most of the times, we use body language. I signal them to start performing, changing tunes and fading the song. I enjoy this role and my dreams only reflect tshikona dance when I’m sleeping,” he said with a big smile.

His message is: “Though everyone is becoming civilized on a daily basis, it is important to preserve our culture. Let us all work together to make sure that different traditional practices are preserved.”