We learned Chigwaya from Endiby Makope. This is a song that I requested. He talked first a little bit about the meaning of the song which is played for the njuzu spirits:
Chigwaya is about the bream type of fish (has more bones) http://www.aquariumlife.net/profiles/african-cichlids/bream/100083.asp for a photo. Used to bring the mermaid spirits in a ceremony meant for the mermaids. Deep meaning. Specially endowed mediums have a mermaid spirit. They are powerful, often herbalists. Very clean from living in the water. There are no male mermaids.
There are specific things that happen in a water ceremony which I won’t relate here. I loved the song immediately. Endiby is a good teacher. We learned the kushaura easily and then the kutsinhira which had nice subtle highline variations. We worked hard until dinner learning and singing the words and then after dinner playing hosho and learning a little more of a variation in the kushaura.
I fell asleep after dinner and missed part of this. I couldn’t sleep the night before and finally got up for coffee at 3:00 a.m. John and Jim both had really unsettled dreams with high anxiety. This song became very soothing. I decided to stay at Bushbaby the next day to practice it and stay with my own water spirit which was responding well to this new song.