National Theatre in Kampala came alive in the last week of August with the staging of Nambi: The African shield maidens, which focused on the magic of legendary Nambi, the daughter of Ggulu, the creator of all things in Buganda Kingdom mythology.
The production by Batalo East is inspired by Nambi’s unwavering spirit as she confronts challenges and embarks on a quest to save her village from a devastating drought.
In this production, the legacy of Buganda ancient female warriors was captured through traditional dances fused with urban and contemporary dance movements.
The energetic and breathtaking production is directed and choreographed by Nabaggala Lilian Maximilian and staged by an all-female dance crew of Nabaggala, Nakato Rachael, Natabi Salama, Nambooze Haula, and Nakawesa Shanta.
According to folklore, Nambi got married to Kintu, a mythological figure who appears in a creation myth of the people of Buganda.
The show starts with a slow gentle dance movement accompanied by African drum music.
There is no dialogue between the performers except for the sound produced by the gentle or aggressive dance steps accompanied by varying musical rhythms, sounds and vocals, and the occasional rattles tied to the legs of the members of female dance collective.
“Nambi” employs intriguing music to portray African female leaders’ contributions to society. It reflects on ancient female warriors, army chiefs, and entrepreneurs such as Ya Asnatewaa of Ashani, Nzinga Mbande of Angola, Ahosi Mino, and Queen Shebah.
The production tackles the themes of womanhood, beauty, and inspiration.
According to information available at the Department of Antiquities and Museums, there are several versions of the mythological figure of Walumbe.
The common myth has it that Kintu; the first man on earth lived alone with his only beloved cow that he depended on for milk.
In this folklore, the creator of all things named Ggulu, lived in Heaven. Ggulu had three children, a daughter named Nambi and two sons: Walumbe and Kayikuzi.
On several occasions, Nambi and her two brothers would descend on earth to play and adventure. On one of their visits, they met Kintu grazing his cow. Nambi fell in love with Kintu and they got married. Walumbe was not pleased with this union and vowed to wreck their marriage. Ggulu did not want Walumbe his troublesome child to follow Kintu and Nambi back to earth.
When Nambi returned to her father’s home to collect millet for her chicken that she had forgotten, Walumbe stealthily followed her back to earth. Legend has it that Walumbe’s arrival in Kintu’s homestead was the beginning of sickness, misery and death on earth in the Buganda mythology after there was a misunderstanding between Kintu and his in-laws.
Nabaggala is an interdisciplinary artist based in Uganda working in the fields of dance, choreography, fashion, and education. Her identity as a choreographer is drawn from four distinct areas of dance: street, Ugandan traditional, contemporary, and Latin.
She is co-founder of Afrooted (US and Uganda) as well as co-creator, committee member, and festival organiser of Batalo East – a performing arts company based in Kampala that mixes traditional and urban art forms. She has been a resident dance artist at Art Omi (US) and guest artist and lecturer at the University of Maryland, Washington DC.
