experiencing zambian culture in livingstone


Recent surveys suggest travelers come to the beautiful continent of Africa for a variety of reasons. These include the adventure, the landscape, the exotic animals and above all to experience the culture. Livingstone, the tourist capital of Zambia and gateway to the rest of the country, is also the hub of Zambian cultural activity.
Revitalization of the downtown has made Livingstone even more inviting to travelers. Friendly street vendors,( although sometimes over solicitous), helpful shop owners, lively markets and curio shops, historical sites, and restaurants catering to all tastes, all combine to make a walk around Livingstone an up-close and intimate experience in one of Africa’s safest cities.
Variety is the catchword for Zambian culture and Livingstone is the cultural melting pot. “One Zambia-One Nation” embodies the spirit of Livingstone and its surrounding villages where the people of diverse cultures live together in harmony.
Cultural entertainment abounds in Livingstone although it is not always easy to know how to find it. Livingstone does not have its own daily newspaper so most scheduled events are advertised on the local radio stations or on banners hung in the downtown. However, it is not uncommon to hear the sounds of singing, dancing and drumming drifting out from a school yard, an outdoor patio, or a vacant parking lot.
The Livingstone Museum hosts a variety of afternoon dancers and musicians throughout the tourist season and can also be a good spot to inquire about other activities. Several lodges, resorts restaurants and pubs offer entertainment although you can’t be sure it will be African music since western influence is big here. Fallspark Mall, on Mosi-ao-tunya Rd., sets up a stage and hires African performers, choirs, dancers and musicians to celebrate on several public holidays.
If you want to learn some traditional dances you may wish to sign up for a dance workshop and dinner package available every Thursday at 17h00 at Olga’s Italian Restaurant. Here you can work up an appetite by participating in traditional dancing followed by a sumptuous Italian meal. Drumming workshops are also offered on the stage of the Capitol Theatre, a beautifully restored building built as Zambia’s first theatre in 1931.
Livingstone is also home to the Zambian National Dance Troupe and a lively contingent of Ngoni Dancers, a chapter of the people who come from the Eastern Province of Zambia. Each of these groups of dancers perform throughout Livingstone and can be booked for special events. This year, the Luvale, from the Northwestern Province, famous for their Makishi masked dancers, will also be performing around Livingstone.
For those who love a parade, one may very well be going on when you are in Livingstone. These are arranged for most public holidays and to celebrate a variety of other occasions. The parades often contain musical groups, the Zambian Air force Band, and the Livingstone majorettes along with a host of brightly dressed groups each displaying their organization on a big banner.
More large scale events are usually tied to a particular holiday. One of the biggest celebrations occurs on Independence Day which involves a parade followed by a day-long celebration of entertainment at one of Livingstone’s stadiums. Other Festivals include high school dance, drama, and choir, competitions held at different times throughout the year.
Ceremonies celebrating everything from good harvest to rites of passage are held throughout Zambia. The closest ceremony to Livingstone is that of the Toka-Leya, the people of the Falls. Celebrated in Mukuni Village, just 12 km from downtown Livingstone, Lwiindi is held twice each year – in July to celebrate the harvest and in December to bring on life-sustaining rains.
The latest addition to Livingstone’s arts and culture community is the Livingstone Performing Arts Foundation (LiPAF). Now in its second year of operation, LiPAF is Livingstone’s own professional theatre ensemble staging music theatre shows which preserve and promote Zambian culture through excellence in the arts. Following on the success of their first music theatre production called “African Shoes”, LiPAF is currently performing their second feature “Dancing Around Zambia” to the delight of visitors and locals alike.
LiPAF is unique in that it is a not for profit NGO. In addition to creating full-time employment in the arts, all profits from the shows are used to support various projects in education, health, culture, sports and social services.
Enjoying an afternoon or evening of African music, dance, and song or taking in a music theatre performance is all available in Livingstone, home to seasoned professionals and up-and-coming young stars. Ask around to find out what is happening on the days of your visits or call 0213 323 346.