A few weeks ago, I wrote these words on my Facebook page: “I long for a Service of Worship in Chitumbuka in Lilongwe City.” Amongst the reactions, what one person wrote stood out: “Any special contribution to mankind salvation? Mwina ndatsalira (May be I am left behind).”
| Drums have own language to which we connect |
As I thought over this, I felt the pain of being misunderstood on my longing. I realized how our tribal and political overtones make us forget our identities subsequently making us even judgmental.
Church services in English Language are held in addition to the regular ones in Chichewa and Chitumbuka among others. The trend has been growing from the late 80’s. Even in a Capital City, Lilongwe, there were no services in English before around 1983. I remember attending the first English service in Rumphi in 1990! Malawians used their “natural” languages for services. The songs of worship too were in those languages.
What I have always found fascinating and surprising is that even when someone has does not understand English, they choose to attend the services. They can benefit more in a service in their natural language but they seem to associate English with progress, modernity and anointing. What makes matters worse is when even the officiating persons struggle in communicating in English to a group of Malawians who can fully understand other languages other than English.
There is something about South Africa that I like. Being rainbow nation, there is acceptance and pride of their natural languages. They are so proud of it that as a Malawian I even feel offended. Their pride and commitment to their languages is evident through the art and all manner of communication including songs and worship. As Malawi receives some of their media feeds, you notice lots of productions in their local languages.
The TV shows that Malawi is able to access equally show their programmes in their natural languages. Of course at one time I thought it is their failure to use English language that makes them settle for their local languages. But I have come to learn that they are proud of their heritage and utilize it when necessary. Not so with Malawi.
Today, most urban areas use English for church services, meetings, and other communication. Even when people have formed the so called tribal groupings like Mulhako wa Alomwe, Chewa Heritage, The Ngoni, The Chitumbuka Forum, Friends of Chitipa, etc., you wonder why such cannot use their natural languages. One would have expected more freedom in these groupings for patrons to use their mother tongues. But ah! They communicate in English. The political groupings too end up avoid any talk of use of local language so they settle for English yet they fully know that the best way to communicate to the masses is through their natural languages.
Using one’s natural language gives you a certain freedom to connect with oneself and others in the same medium in a manner that cannot be achieved otherwise. Those who grew up using their mother tongues will always by default want to connect in that tongue. God accepts worship from wherever we are through the art he created. Unfortunately if anyone emphasizes use of one’s natural language, people start labelling him or her as tribalistic. Such attitudes are so strong that those who want promote their natural languages even feel embarrassed to speak in their mother tongues in any public space. Our media have not adequately embraced and encouraged natural languages yet their audiences and viewers long for them. There is huge disconnect.
I like the way institutions like the Bible Society of Malawi, the three Synods of the CCAP and the Roman Catholic Church have encouraged use of the Malawi languages. Unfortunately their efforts seem to be not yielding much now in an environment where almost every form of communication thinks English language is the way to go. The people in the United Kingdom must be very happy to have colonized us this way!
Many countries are busy promoting and protecting their cultures and languages. Some countries are so small yet still bonded to their national language even when their population is dwindling. Haven’t Malawians been forced to learn their language as a condition to study in their countries and get the scholarships? And these countries have no apology about it.
There is space for English as a language in Malawi. And I like it. But the Malawians should feel arrested to utilize their natural languages because very soon most of our local languages will disappear even though the group’s names might say something about the language. It is us who will be losers as we cannot connect with ourselves and our Creator.
This post also appeared in Sunday Times of 1st November 2015 on the Cultural Page.
Entries by Ndagha
