Chopi
Encyclopedia
The Chopi are an ethnic group
of Mozambique
. They have traditionally lived primarily in the Zavala
region of southern Mozambique, in the Inhambane Province
. They traditionally lived a life of subsistence agriculture
, traditionally living a rural existence, although many were displaced or killed in the civil war
that followed Mozambique's liberation from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975. In addition, drought
forced many away from their homeland and into the nation's cities.
The Chopi speak Chichopi
, a tonal language in the Bantu
family, with many also speaking chiTonga
and Portuguese
as secondary languages. Their neighbors include the Shangaan
ethnic group who live to the west, in the Gaza Province
, and who invaded Chopi territory in the 19th century. Historically, some Chopi were enslaved and others became migrant laborers in South Africa
.
The Chopi identify culturally, as a people, with the elephant
.
by UNESCO
in 2005.http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/27afr_uk.htm
Other instruments used by the Chopi include panpipes, whistles, animal horns, rattles, drums of various sizes, musical bow
s, and a globular flute with three holes made from the dried shell of the nkuso fruit (bush orange).
(manioc) and cashew
nuts. They also produce a number of traditional alcoholic beverages, which are produced from fermented tangerines or cashews.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
of Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. They have traditionally lived primarily in the Zavala
Zavala, Mozambique
Zavala, also known as Quissico, is a city in Mozambique. It is the capital of the Zavala District.The town lies on the Mozambique Channel coast and the EN1 road. It is known for its lagoons and for its musicianship....
region of southern Mozambique, in the Inhambane Province
Inhambane Province
Inhambane is a province of Mozambique located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km² and a population of 1.412.349 . The provincial capital is also called Inhambane....
. They traditionally lived a life of subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
, traditionally living a rural existence, although many were displaced or killed in the civil war
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
that followed Mozambique's liberation from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975. In addition, drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
forced many away from their homeland and into the nation's cities.
The Chopi speak Chichopi
Chopi language
Chopi, also spelled Copi, Tschopi, and Txopi, is a Bantu language spoken along the southern coast of Mozambique....
, a tonal language in the Bantu
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
family, with many also speaking chiTonga
Tonga language (Zambia)
The Tonga language of Zambia and Zimbabwe is a Bantu Language primarily spoken by the Tonga people in those countries who live mainly in the Southern and Western provinces of Zambia, and in northern Zimbabwe, with a few in Mozambique. The language is also spoken by the Tonga, Ila, Iwe, Toka and...
and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
as secondary languages. Their neighbors include the Shangaan
Shangaan
The Tsonga people inhabit the southern coastal plain of Mozambique, parts of Zimbabwe and Swaziland, and the Limpopo Province of South Africa...
ethnic group who live to the west, in the Gaza Province
Gaza Province
Gaza is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km² and a population of 1,333,106 .Xai-Xai is the capital of the province. Inhambane Province is to the east, Manica Province to the north, Maputo Province to the south, South Africa to the west, and Zimbabwe to the...
, and who invaded Chopi territory in the 19th century. Historically, some Chopi were enslaved and others became migrant laborers in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
The Chopi identify culturally, as a people, with the elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
.
Music and dance
They are famous for their traditional music, the most famous of their instruments being the mbila (plural: timbila), a xylophone played in large groups. This music was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of HumanityMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness on intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2005.http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/27afr_uk.htm
Other instruments used by the Chopi include panpipes, whistles, animal horns, rattles, drums of various sizes, musical bow
Musical bow
The musical bow is a simple string musical instrument most archaic cultures as well as in many in the present day. It consisting of a string supported by a flexible stick 1.5 to 10 feet long, and strung end to end with a taut cord. Usually made out of wood...
s, and a globular flute with three holes made from the dried shell of the nkuso fruit (bush orange).
Cuisine
The Chopi's traditional foods include cassavaCassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
(manioc) and cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
nuts. They also produce a number of traditional alcoholic beverages, which are produced from fermented tangerines or cashews.
Films
- 1980 - The Chopi Timbila Dance. Directed by Andrew TraceyAndrew TraceyAndrew Tracey, born 5 May 1936, Durban, South Africa,is a South African ethnomusicologist, promoter ofAfrican music,composer, folk singer, band leader, and actor...
. - Chopi Music of Mozambique. Directed by Ron Hallis.http://www.hallisfilms.com/filmography.htm
- Banguza Timbila. Directed by Ron Hallis.http://www.hallisfilms.com/filmography.htm
- 1994 - A Spirit Here Today: A Scrapbook of Chopi Village Music. Directed by Gei ZantzingerGei ZantzingerAlfred Geist Zantzinger was an American documentary filmmaker specializing in documentaries about traditional musics of the world...
. Filmed in 1973.
External links
- Ethnologue report for Chopi
- Article about Chopi music by Brian Hogan