Keeping art alive
through tradition
By Kizito Makoye
It’s not easy any more to find
people whose ethnic identity is written boldly on their faces. But in Tanzania,
you could get lucky.
Meet the Makonde people - their carvings have made them a respected name in the
world of art, but their tattooing tradition remains relatively unknown. Be it a
man or a woman, the young or the old, tattooing is a practice all Makonde are
very proud to follow – it’s their trademark if you like!
The Makonde are one of the five major tribes in Tanzania, who originally
migrated north from Mozambique to the southern Tanzanian highlands.
Tatooing and body piercing of the Makonde tribe is undoubtedly one of the most
unique and intriguing traditions in Africa. To most Makonde women, cosmetic
products and body perfumes, employed as beauty tools by modern women, hold no
charm. What matters to them is to have their faces tattooed and their upper lip
pierced.
The tribesmen have made tatooing a visible symbol of their identity and a
recognition of their culture. As a result, the ritual has remained consitently
popular over the years. In the late 70s, for instance, no young lady could think
of missing it due to its tremendous cultural significance.
There are, however, a lot of misconceptions about the Makonde tattooing ritual.
For a long time, many believed that the Makonde were forced to undergo the
ritual as a form of defence, to scare away the colonialists.
A lot of Makonde women whose faces are tattooed, say the rumours are unfounded.
They say the ritual represents cultural continuity and fashion awareness.
The Makonde diaspora, who fled the Mozambique due to economic reasons and
political unrest, dispersed through out the East African coast, especially Dar
es Salaam, Mombasa and Coast regions. The Makonde of Tanzania and Mozambique are
separated by the Ruvuma River and are culturally distinct.
Maria Lyudi Ndombi is one of the Makonde, who fled Mozambique. Old age hasn’t
marred her beauty as she sits proudly with her heavily tattooed face.
Forced by circumstances to live in a multi-cultural society at Mbagala Kizuiani
on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, she is determined to preserve her tribal
traditions.
“I am proud of my roots and my traditions. The drawing that you see on my face
was made many years ago and the top of my mouth was also pierced.I do not
remember my age - I might be 50 or 60 now,” she remarks.
Maria speaks Swahili with a heavy accent, which is hard to grasp. But what makes
her still very attractive is the criss-crossing green lines tattooed skillfully
on her face, lending her an almost glamourous image.
Maria says tatooing is carried out by a skilled person equipped with a pen knife
and needle. Facial tatooing takes only a few hours and after that a young girl
is recognised as a woman.
Ndonya is another important symbol of Makonde identity. It is a wooden patch
filled in the hole pierced between the mouth and nose. According to Maria, the
older you grow, the bigger the Ndonya becomes.
“We were not forced to have our faces tattooed. We did it on our own will. When
we die, it is easy to recognise us as a Makonde,” explains Maria.
Maria, who left her homeland almost 30 years ago, believes body tattooing is
important and advantageous, especially for preserving the skin of the face. She
says those who do not get it done are unlucky as their skin is likely to age
faster.
The Makonde living in Tanzania have endeavoured to preserve their culture
“against all odds”. Body modification has apparently become appealling as the
tribe struggles to retain its cultural identity.
A pretty good number of the Makonde diaspora can be found in Dar es Salaam and
Coast Regions. Mkuranga district in Coast Region is one of the places in the
country, where the Makonde with facial modification live.
Most Makonde women obtain their tattoos in late adolescence and are motivated to
do so by the desire to improve their appearance and because they perceive
tattooing as a viable art form. However, arguably, there are those prompted to
do so to attract men, especially during courtship.
Sometimes, the motivation for tattooing stems from the desire to project a
certain image to others and enhance self-esteem.
Many Makonde interviewed confessed that they had acquired their tattoos
impulsively and related this decision to a search for self identity.
Nudye Hamisi was an adult when she got herself tattooed in Mheza Tanga. She says
her mother motivated her to peform the ritual to prepare her for marriage. She
is now very proud of it and believes that a Makonde woman who hasn’t undergone
tattooing is unfit for marriage.
Nudye recalls, “at that time, all my peers had already undergone the ritual, so
obviously I was ashamed and had to go for it.”
She says a friend once told her that she is likely to attract more men after her
body is tattooed and pierced. She adds that in some instances, the men were
forced by their fiancees to undergo the ritual as a prerequisite for marriage.
That could be a reason why some Makonde men are tattooed and some are not.
Many moderately and heavily tattooed and pierced persons describe their markings
as “acts of self-creation” and note an increased sense of self-confidence after
having pierced or tattooed their bodies.
It is as though the desire to mark their bodies stems from some inner sense of
self, rather than the desire to create a particular image in order to be liked.
Whatever the reason, the tattooing ritual of the Makonde seems to be thriving.