This program is about some traditional dances in Lebialem which where imported from other tribes. In this edition we talk about ngwee. We meet a veteran of ngwee, Chief Fuache Attah of Lewoh. He is renowned in the whole of Lebialem for his skills in the dance and music.
EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW:
Lebialem Portal:Your Highness could you introduce yourself?
Fuache Attah:I am Fuache Attah of Lewoh, traditional ruler of Njenattah.
Lebialem Portal:You are very famous for ngwee. Could you explain what ngwee is?
Fuache Attah: It is a society which originated from Nigeria. The Bayang people bought and then subsequently exported it to Nweh country. Fuolewoh (Fortabong) first bought it and then Fontem also bought it. I was fascinated by the way the initiated spoke in coded language. So I went to Fuolewoh and bought mine.
Lebialem Portal: So you bought yours from Fuolewoh?
Fuache Attah: Yes. He first bought it from Fotabe of Mambo in Bayang country. Later on he bought the ngwee stone from Fotaku and the ngwee forest from Fuomem, all of them from Ebensok. Again, I went to the chief and bought these items too.
Lebialem Portal: Does it mean that ngwee has many parts?
Fuache Attah: Yes, there are many bits and parts to buy.
Lebialem Portal: What did he buy first?
Fuache Attah: First he bought what is called ngwee bekwindih. Secondly, he planted the stone. The third he bought from Fuomem included clearing the forest, bekwindih, and angwuh.
Lebialem Portal: So these are all the levels that one needs top buy?
Fuache Attah: No. That is what they could afford at the time. However, nowadays people prefer to price and buy it in bulk instead of buying in bits.
Lebialem Portal: When you talk of buying ngwee is it the same like buying an article in the market?
Fuache Attah: Yes, you pay money, cash. But before the price is agreed you must first go there and break cola nut. Thereafter, they will give you a list of items to bring. After you pay the agreed price they then start teaching you the songs. After acquiring enough you can then go back home. Once back home, you then fix a launching date and invite people. Thereafter you have the right to say the ngwee incantations. You cannot invoke ngwee if you have not bought it in full.
Lebialem Portal: How much can it really cost to buy ngwee?
Fuache Attah: It depends on your relationship with the sellers. Just of recent I bought another one which I later sold to Nkemnkeng. I bought it for forty thousand francs, not counting the goats, pigs, fowls and drinks.
Lebialem Portal: It's sometimes very intriguing to see you people dancing and laughing among yourselves. What is it all about?
Fuache Attah: It is not sung in Nweh. Secondly, the coded language communication through hand signs is packed full of many exciting messages. Each sign means something. Those who have not bought ngwee completely may not understand the signs. But sometimes you may forget the signs. In that case you will not able to interpret another person's message.
Lebialem Portal: What are the specific things that people learn when getting initiated?
Fuache Attah: They teach you how to sing and play the drums. It may take a whole night just to learn an item. It's a tedious process.
Lebialem Portal: Isn't it possible to translate the songs and sing them in Nweh? At least so that people can understand it.
Fuache Attah: You cannot do that. It will no longer be ngwee. It will just be a child's play. Look at troh. Can you change its manner of speaking? Once you do that it will lose its appeal. One other problem is that ngwee is not sung only in the Bayang language.
Lebialem Portal: Which languages are used in the singing?
Fuache Attah: Keyaka, Bakundu and Calabar
Lebialem Portal: It is alleged that there's a lot of witchcraft in ngwee. How true is it?
Fuache Attah: There is no witchcraft in it. Let me tell you why I first decided to buy ngwee from Fon Fotabong. When he first bought ngwee people accused him of having brought witchcraft to the land. But then people who were not members of ngwee were dying of witchcraft. He would attend their funeral and the family must give him a goat. Then he would rebuke the people for saying that he had bought witchcraft when they were the real witches and wizards destroying his land. From when I was a child until now I have not seen any witchcraft in ngwee. Yet, to avoid getting into trouble with the people I decided to buy from the Fon and not from outside. I even accompanied the Fon to Bayang land when he went to buy the last parts of ngwee. He then taught me when we returned. It's people who put witchcraft in a harmless thing.
Lebialem Portal: Thank you very much Your Highness.
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