Africa-Press – Angola. The traditional circumcision ritual, through the Tchingange dance, in the municipality of Balombo, province of Benguela, is losing expression, due to the lack of interest of the new generation.
According to the municipal director of Culture and Tourism, Bibiana Nassessa, this practice is disappearing significantly because people are increasingly enlightened and take their children to the hospital to carry out the aforementioned operation.
Bibiana Nassessa explained that it (traditional circumcision) is carried out in dry weather, which covers the months of June, July and August, and is carried out in cold blood.
“The patient is confined to their own homes for around two months, and the family brings food to them while they are hospitalized.
When they leave there, “they are ready for Tchingange dance training,” he said.
Regarding the typical dances of that region, he said that the Directorate of Culture has been carrying out campaigns to rescue them, so that they do not disappear due to the lack of interest among young people.
These are Nhacto, Njango, Litamba, Thipuete and Tchingufo, influenced by the people that were formed with the arrival of the inhabitants of the Kingdoms of Bailundo, Thyaka, Kaconda and Ambos.
According to the director, the sobas have played an important role in raising awareness among young people, encouraging older people to pass on their experience.
Regarding exhibition spaces, he said that the municipal headquarters has a multipurpose field where groups perform, in the space adjacent to the Municipal Administration of Balombo, as well as in the facilities of the Directorate of Culture itself.
As institutional support, dance, theater and music groups receive some monetary and material stimulus, such as fabrics, mainly on Culture Day, January 8th, and at carnival time.
Regarding Tourism, he said that there are many places to be discovered, but, due to financial difficulties, there is no progress in this regard.
“The only tourist symbol known to residents and beyond is the hot springs of Kota Kota”, he stated.
According to her, the place is in a state of abandonment, with the infrastructure vandalized.
“The Administration has already requested help from the Provincial Government in order to find a solution for its recovery”, said the director.
The Kota-Kota hot springs are located at the entrance to the village, for those coming from Lobito.
In the colonial era, it had a facility to accommodate tourists, a small bathing area and today you can see the old structure where “water with exceptional medicinal properties” was bottled.
The municipality of Balombo is located 180 kilometers from the headquarters of the province of Benguela and 150 kilometers from the municipality of Lobito
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