Jack Mapanje as an Imbongi.

HOW JACK MAPANJE FULFILLS THE ROLE OF AN IMBONGI- ON HIS ROYAL BLINDNESS PARAMOUNT heading KWANGWALA. Africa is peerless of the worlds con canfulents, having a unique tangible make up of its own which comprises of virtually of the distinct features in the likes of mountains, lakes, falls and plains beneficial to mention a few. It is from this outset that ane of the integral branches of writings particularly Afri john lit sprouted.Practiced and express in the southern central nation of Malawi, African literature was use as a calamus in a fight for potpourri and was used to question the monstrous leading of the Malawi nation which was universe practiced by the hence countrys president late Dr battle of Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Chirambo (2009 p1) highlights that the government of former president for purport Dr. H. K. Banda and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in Malawi was a dictatorship that relied on coercion as well as mobilization of basic popular support and consent t o swan it ego in power for 30 old age (19641994).It was this nerve that gave birth to different self camouflaging writing styles, a point which Kerr (1987) agrees to by scaning that writers formed a Malawian creative writing movement which used literary methods that frequently outwitted Banda and his perpetually prepargond formal and informal censors. dickhead Mapanje, mob Gibbs, Leroy Vail and Landeg White all give accounts of how writers managed to beat censorship. Using oral forms, new metaphors from Malawis natal languages, suggestive words, puns, and certain popular phrases, they managed to camouflage most of the critical literature for circulation without reprisal.Depicting much(prenominal) a writing style some of the writers emerged as messengers. These messengers in African literature are boundaryed as Imbongis. This essay intends to develop to the fore how Jack Mapanje fulfills the image of an imbongi d unmatchable his writings basing its discussion on a th ree stanza poem On His lofty sightlessness Paramount Chief Kwangwala. Mapanje is one of Malawis renowned poets who suffered the hand of Kamuzus readership as he was detained without charge for almost quadruplet years between September 1987 and may 1991.At the season of his arrest, Mapanje was serving as check of the English Department at chancellor College of the University of Malawi. To this day the government has non presumption the actual reasons for his detention (Chirambo 2009, p4). Writing in the time s of Kamuzuism a marge assigned to symbolize Kamuzus oppressive acts, Mapanje secured the theatrical component of an imbongi as his writings circulated against Kamuzus lead with animadversion, noise and at the same time praise. Whereby these are some of the theatrical roles of a praise poet (an Imbongi).Mafeje(1967 p193) defines an imbongi as someone who lived in close proximity to the Chiefs Great view and who accompanied the Chief on authorized occasions . Hi s performances would be directed at the Chief, decrying what was unworthy, assess what was worthy and even forebode what was going to happen. Clearly, the Imbongis role was one that allowed for objurgation . With reference to Mafejes definition then winning a closer look at Mapanjes title On His Royal Blindness Paramount Chief Kwangwala it can well be assumed that the poet was describing the lead of a of import whom the poet himself served as an imbongi.The title on the other hand is brandished with chaff as the poet has used the term blindness which represents the scattered in direction of the leadership in discussion. This leadership can be equated to that of Kamuzu this is so as Banda regarded Malawi as one grownup village in which he was the preponderating Chief, father, guardian, and protector of all stack and went so far as to call Malawi, my ethnic music . . . the whole nation, the tribe of Malawi (Chirambo 2001, p 226). This prompts us to earmark Kamuzu as the chief whos leadership the poet is trying to describe with sarcasm.In the opening stanza the poet is praise the chief by describing how the chief (Kamuzu) finds allegiance in the carried- byness of his people not beneath the fact that they really are carried away alone the chief has instilled in them a sense that he is their hero. This is the Same whole tone that those who lived in the Kamuzu era expressed and it was callable to the fact that Kamuzu termed himself with all sorts of self praising names for example Banda was called Wamuyaya, heart and soul the divinity.The other reason for the undeserved praises was that Kamuzu tell all women and girls to sing songs of praise where ever he was to visit and he named them Mbumba za Kamuzu meaning Kamuzus kidren. As an Imbongi the poet in the outgrowth devil lines of the poem praising his chief but at the same time in the preceding four lines of the stanza the poet is expressing his bad tactility over how the chief dialogue to his people as he addresses.The poet has used the term golden breath which insinuates the importance of the chiefs talks simultaneously criticizing him even more by calling the speeches breath wasting, this has been presented in mockery in the line that says . Those impromptu, long-winded tirades of your expertness Thus Mapanje depicting the role of an imbongi. The molybdenum stanza is just a continuation humourous praise the poet is expressing towards the Chief to whom he is an imbongi. In the first lines of the stanza th poet is refuting the thinking that he is criticizing the chiefs powers which is exactly what he did in the first stanza.He manages to do this by admitting that him too is supposititious to praise the leader and this has been developed in the lines that say I know I too must sing to such royal happiness And I am not arguing. To further limn his devotion Mapanje describes the leaders might by talking about how those that questioned his power suffered, and this is praise in disguise making Mapanje to assume the role of an Imbongi. Mapanje brings up the issue of those that suffered Kamuzuism as they questioned the leaders powers, as a away of showing up his might and at the same time exposing the dark parts of the leaders era.This has been brought up in the lines that say How dare I when we fuddle scribbled our praises all over our graves? Which is a question that the poet has posed to mean how could he question the presidents leadership yet he knows that others confine died because of doing the same. A point which in similar vain Steve Chimombo raised in his piece A Dead call in which he picked animals in the likes of lizards and rats and describe by saying they kept seeking refuge from time to time. In Chimombos circumstance these homeless animals symbolized some of the politicians who went into exile and others who died mysteriously.Mapanje in the remainder lines of the second stanza is using the leaders ill-treatments for pr aise and implicitly unveiling the presidents junky. thereby fulfilling his role as an imbongi. In the third stanza Mapanje is exertion with his criticism by highlighting that he can not go against the presidents governance as he knows people have always done what ever they can to make the leader proud and he would not want to defy such a record. This is in the five lines that say Why should I quarrel when I too have known pretend dancers Dancers making troubled journeys to the gold minesOn stern foot and bringing back manage European gadgets The broken pipes, torn coats, bent on(p) bowler hats, Dangling mirrors and rusty tin cans to make their dancing strange? Mapanje closes the last line by questioning if others did not die trying to please the president. This is to turf out how inhuman the president was. In over(p) closure Mapanjes last stanza is in heart and soul refutation of his underlying criticism in the first three stanzas. He addresses the chief as His grace in s arcasm and refers to himself as just a boor who is bored by the chiefs self-praising, long, meaningless and deadening speeches .Even though he throws such criticism is at the same time praising the chief in the lines that say I am only a child surprised how you broadly disparage Me take aback only by the tedium of your dogging palaver. I adore your majesty. The poet then goes on by reminding the leader that his leadership powers are time bound and allow for at some point in time come to an end, and this is in add together rejection of the term that refers to the president as being immortal the poet has presented this as a simile.He is in addition making a wake up call to the nation by asking it as to when will it realize it is misled by old age that is being expressed by the president. This has been expressed by the poet in the lines that say But paramountcy is like a rain drop On a vast sea. Why should we wait for the children to describe us about toothless gums or our sho wing flies. In conclusion Jack Mapanje as a poet he fulfills his role as an imbongi by using irony, sarcasm, similes, metaphors as poetic tools to camouflage his Kamuzuism challenging ideas which is one of the roles of a praise poet (Imbongi) .Despite highlighting the monstrosity of Kamuzus leadership, Mapanje at the same time praises the president. Thereby fulfilling his role as an Imbongi. REFERENCES. Chirambo, R. (2001) Protesting Politics of death and Darkness in Malawi. Journal of Folklore inquiry 38. 3. Chirambo, R. (2009) Subverting Bandas Dictatorship in Malawi Orality as Counter-Discourse in Jack PDF. Chimombo, S. (1987) Napolo Poems. Zomba Manchichi Publishers. Kerr, D. (1987) Theater in Malawi, The Drama Review 31, Summer. Mafeje, A. (1967) The usance of the Bard in a coetaneous African Community Journal of African Languages.