Latest revision including title change- January 16, 2022
This pancocojams post showcases seven video examples of Southern African Zionist religious chanting/singing and movement.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, religious, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in the videos that are embedded in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of those videos on YouTube.
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Some of the YouTube videos of this form of religious dancing uses the terms "wafa wafa" and/or isikhalanga. However, to date (January 16, 2022), I've not found any Southern African definitions of "wafa wafa". I also am unsure whether the definitions that I found for isikhalanga refer to the religious dancing/movement. Consequently, I've removed those terms from this post's title.
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EDITOR'S COMMENT
Disclaimer:
My comments about this religious dancing are based on the very limited amount of information that I found online, including reading the Wikipedia article on South African and Zimbabwean Zion denominations, watching South African/Zimbabwean Zion YouTube videos, and reading some Google translated comments from YouTube discussion threads.
I realize that any conclusions that I might make about this religious dance form may be inaccurate and/or incomplete.
I'm very interested in learning about this religious dance form from anyone else who knows about this subject. Additions and corrections are welcome.
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INFORMATION ABOUT SOUTH AFRICAN ZION (WAFA WAFA) ISIKHALANGA
"Isikhalanga" is a music and movement form that is associated with South African Zion denominations. "Isikhalanga" is sometimes given as "zion iskhalanga" and "gospel isikhalanga". That word is also given as "is'khalanga" and "khalanga".
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionist_Churches
"Zionist Churches are a group of Christian denominations that derive from the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion, Illinois. Missionaries from the church came to South Africa in 1904 and among their first recruits were Pieter Louis le Roux and Daniel Nkonyane of Wakkerstroom who continued to evangelize after the Zionist missionaries left in 1908.[1].
The Zionist Churches proliferated throughout southern Africa, and became African Independent Churches; research in 1996 suggested that 40% of all black South Africans belonged to a Zionist church.
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Among the characteristics of Zionist denominations listed in that Wikipedia article are "Ritual garments, often mostly white, and prophetic staffs." and "Some smaller denominations worship in the open air, and practise "wheel" dances". This "wheel dance" is what is referred to as "isikhalanga".
A number of YouTube videos entitled "wafa wafa" show people doing the movements that are referred to as "isikhalanga" in other videos. A Facebook page entitled "Zion (wafa wafa) suggests to me that "wafa wafa" is a referent for some (all?) South African Zion churches. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zionwafa-wafa/174881469241099
The videos of isikhalanga that I've watched to date show groups of people -usually all men, but sometimes also including boy or women - repeatedly moving around in a circular formation while singing or chanting. Sometimes individual participants do a fast spin while they move around that circle. Most of the men hold a long slender, wooden rod. Some videos show people leaving the group, standing to the side, and then rejoining the group. Some videos I've watch show a man standing inside that circle that is formed by the moving participants. That man appears to be directing the movement and/or exhorting the participants to continue "wheeling".
The isikhalanga circular movement is somewhat similar to the 19th century (if not older) African American religious shouts. However, the videos of depictions of shouts that I've watched don't include the individual spinning that appears to be one of the key signatures of isikhalanga. That isikhalanga spinning movement reminds a little of the Sufi "whirling dervishes". That spinning also reminds me of the spinning movements of some traditional Igbo Nigerian masqueraders. This South African spinning movement also reminds me of the "wheel and turn" movements in Jamaican Kumina dancing.
One Google translation of the summary written in Zulu for the video given below as Example #2 provides a hint for me about the meaning of these wheel formation dances:
"T-jolo Tjo to Getshenge sisiza abantu abale nhlupho emizini yabo nge mithandazo egameni lenkosi ..."
Google translate:
T-Lajolo Tjo to Getshenge help people calculate the plague in their homes with prayers in the name of the king ...
My American English translation:
T-Lajolo Tjo to Getshenge helps people gain protection from diseases with prayers in the name of the king.
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My guess that "the king" in this comment is a reference for God.
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
These examples are given in chronological order according to their publishing dates on YouTube with the oldest dated example given first.
Example #1: Wafa Wafa
MANYELE-MGOROTSE, Uploaded on Nov 8, 2011
From plumtree via Tsholotsho...
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Example #2: Wafa wafa
MANYELE-MGOROTSE Uploaded on Nov 9, 2011
T-jolo Tjo to Getshenge sisiza abantu abale nhlupho emizini yabo nge mithandazo egameni lenkosi ujesu.....
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Example #3: Wafa-wafa - Xhaninxhani
MANYELE-MGOROTSE, Published on Mar 3, 2013
wafa wafa council of churchies yithi labo.
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Example #4: Zion ze UK warming up
MANYELE-MGOROTSE, Published on May 19, 2014
Maka dunyiswe oyi ncwele...
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Google translate:
Mark praised pre trimming ...
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American English: Mark praising warming up (rituals? exercises?)
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Example #5: Wafa Wafa Ntoli Manguba part 2
MANYELE-MGOROTSE, Published on Mar 21, 2015
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Example 6: Believers in Christ Isikhalanga
Johan Sibiya Promotions, Published on May 2, 2015
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Example #7: Abadumisi BakaThixo-Ziyehla Izinyembezi/Akusavumi Mangithule
Trust in christ, Published on May 17, 2015
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