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Africa

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extremely heterogeneous place

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second largest and second most populous continent after Asia

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54 different countries

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1 billion people

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1500 difference languages

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sprawling massive cities

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Lagos, Nigeria

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more than 5 million people

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millions of people in small villages and towns

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history of Africa and America

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bound up in the transatlantic slave trade

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slavery not only provided a key part of the economic foundation of America, but it also means that many Americans are the descendents of these enslaved individuals

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Chewa people of Malawi

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mask of Elvis Presley made by a group of rural farmers

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use it it in a sacred ritual called the Gule Wamkulu ("Big Dance")

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we might think it represents a strange misunderstanding of Western culture

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or that they are mimicking a global image in a simplistic and problematic way

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dances of the Chewa are not just for entertainment

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ways to learn what was and was not appropriate behavior in society

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one way they did this was incorporate images and characters from outside Malawi

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allows the Chewa to gain a sense of control over their relationships with outsiders

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through emboding, dancing, mimicking, and ridiculing

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Elvis dancing among the Chewa was a way to demonstrate the correct way of living by satirizing a Western icon that lived excessively and who was controlled by vices which were best avoided

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Chewa people

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one of the largest groups in Malawi

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land-locked country

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between Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania

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in the United States the Chewa are best know for their masks

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used in dance rituals by a secret society called the Nyau

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for Chewa men

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involved in passing on their myths

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Gule Wamkulu

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danced at funerals

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communication time-honored values

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addressing current issues

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30 dances

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meant to teach young people

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the masked dancers are understood to be ancestors themselves

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are able to be creative which keeps this dance relevant

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earliest know examples of incorporating masks of outsiders

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masks of Portuguese and Arab traders

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both deeply involved in slave trading

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would trade for slaves

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marched caravans of slaves through the heart of Chewa land

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portrayed them with frightening, fierce, red faces

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dance communicates that the Chewa should fear these groups

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1915 killing of Chewa man by British colonial officials

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he had staged an uprising against British colonial officials

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his uprising failed, officials pursued him and killed him

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this chase is reenacted in the dance

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the mask chases women and children in the audience

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1964 independence

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continue to representing

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Charlie Chaplin

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Queen Elizabeth

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1977 made the Elvis mask, the year he died