Zambia Culture

The contemporary culture of Zambia is mainly of indigenous Bantu cultural background mixed with European influence. It is a blend of material, norms, spiritual traditions and values of more than 60 culturally different natives in addition to European. Before colonialism, the indigenous people in now modern Zambia lived independently in their tribes in Free states, each with their own ways of life. Majority moved into this area through migrations.

Different ethnic groups came together; grew in numbers and later established kingdoms.
These groups established trading links with each other extending them to other outside communities along trade routes to the east and west of Africa. Major items in their transactions were copper, ivory and slaves exchanging them for textiles, jewellery, salt and hardware with farming done at a less extensive scale.

With the advent of colonialism, Zambia witnessed growth of urbanization. These different tribal groups merged and lived together in towns and cities, influencing each other as well as adopting a lot of the European culture. Many of the rural inhabitants however, retained their indigenous and traditional customs and values. The colonial period saw ethnically different people brought together by economic interests.

In the recent urban setting, there is a constant incorporation and evolution of the original cultures resulting in present day “Zambian culture”. Foreign genres of music are popular, in particular Congolese jazz, Jamaican reggae and African-American music.

The original cultures however are still more prevalent in the rural setting. For instance most Zambian traditional music is based on drums (plus other rhythm instruments) with a singing and dancing. Original traditional arts in pottery, basketry (such as Tonga baskets), stools, fabrics, wooden & ivory carvings, wire craft and copper crafts are still being made.

Zambia’s traditional culture is also still visible their annual colorful traditional ceremonies such as Chibwela Kumushi of the Central Province; Ncwala from the Eastern Province; Kuomboka and Kathanga from the Western Province; Mutomboko in Luapula Province; Lwiindi and Shimunenga of the Southern Province; Likumbi Lyamize in the North Western; and Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena in the Northern Province.

After Independence in 1964, government recognized the role culture plays in the overall development of a new nation and took on to address the issue of National identity. It is put in place institutions to protect and promote Zambia’s culture, including the National Heritage Conservation Commission. Private museums were also set up as well as cultural villages all the “Zambian Culture”.