Elizabeth Mosima
3 July 2009
The purpose of last Saturday's launching was to make the public recognise the existence of the group and that the group can be useful in cultural manifestations.
The premises of the Jumping Jacks School in Obili a Yaounde neighbourhood were exceptionally busy last Saturday June 27. The event was the solemn cultural and public manifestation to launch the ‘Nkang Ndi Nkemleke’ in Yaounde. Organised by the Nkang Ndi Nkemleke cultural club the event brought together chiefs and notables as well as heads of cultural groups from the Lebialem Division and neighbouring Kupe Manegouba, Menoua and Nde Divisions.
It was a purely cultural event. The purpose of last Saturday’s launching was to make the public recognise the existence of the group and that the group can be useful in cultural manifestations. The major highlight of the event was the transportation of the “Nteh” from the forest where it was carved and the ritual performance on the “nteh” by the patrons in the Nweh language. The “Nteh” is wooden drum made from a tree from the heart of the forest and is used for the dance. The dancers entertained the public with a rich cultural display of the Nkang dance even though physically exhausting.
Speaking during the occasion, the patron of Nkang Ndi Nkemleke, Professor Robert Leke, said the club is an expression of his ardent desire to waken one of the most beloved cultural dances in Yaounde an environment which is not its natural environment and in brothers and sisters who are very busy doing professional activities. The President of Nkang Ndi Nkemleke, Lucas Ivo Njika, said Nweh people had very few cultural organised groups in Yaounde “Consequently, we, our children and upcoming generations were fast most loosing most of our cultural values,” he said. He regretted the fact that most of the various activities and aspects of the Lebialem culture have been abandoned and forgotten.
The Nkang Ndi Nkemleke cultural group came into existence on November 18 2003. According to Prof. Leke, the main objective of the group is to uphold and propagate the Lebialem cultural dances as a component of development. Within six years of existence of the club, it has participated in several pubic manifestations; twice in Menji (Lebialem), twice in Bali, once in Baganté and once in Yaounde. According to Prof Leke, the club encourages the participation of youths in these dances so that they will grow to know and love the Lebialem culture.
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