“Songs from the Heart”
Location: Rural Malawi
Date: March 2024
Photographer: Kate Holland '21
Affiliation: Alumni
Home Country: United States
Category: People
Award: Honorable Mention
2024 International Photography Exhibition
“Inscribed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the Gule Wamkulu is a secret "cult," involving ritualized dances performed by the Chewa tribe of Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique. Performers are members of the Nyau brotherhood of initiated men. Gule Wamkulu can be seen across the rural countryside of Malawi in harvest seasons as well as at rural weddings, funerals, and chief installations. Here, a woman sings in advance of Nyau brothers who channel the spirit of characters, wild animals, the dead, and more. These characters each represent an archetype of Malawian culture and serve, often, as a means of teaching audience members moral and social values.”