Cultural heritage
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Traditional Chagga instruments include wooden flutes, bells, and drums. Dancing and singing are part of almost every celebration. Classical Chaggan music is still heard in festivities; however, Chaggan youth have also embraced Kiswahili songs produced by various Tanzanian bands and west and central African music and dance forms. Reggae, pop, and rap are popular with the youth. Many musicians of Chagga origin are known around Africa.[citation needed]
The first Chagga historian was Nathaniel Mtui, who was born in 1892 and wrote nine books about the history of the Chagga from 1913-1916.[3]
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Folklore
Chagga legends center on Ruwa and his power and assistance. Ruwa is the Chagga name for their god, as well as the Chagga word for "sun." Ruwa is not looked upon as the creator of humankind, but rather as a liberator and provider of sustenance. He is known for his mercy and tolerance when sought by his people. Some Chagga myths concerning Ruwa resemble biblical stories of the Old Testament.
In the past, chiefdoms had chiefs who rose to power through war and trading. Some famous past chiefs include Orombo from Kishigonyi, Sina of Kibosho, and Marealle of Marangu.
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Employment
Traditionally, Chagga work has been centered on the farm and is divided by gender. Men's work includes feeding goats, building and maintaining canals, preparing fields, slaughtering animals, and building houses. Women's work includes firewood and water collection, fodder cutting, cooking, and cleaning the homestead and stalls. Women are also in charge of trading in the marketplace.
Many Chagga young people work as clerks, teachers, and administrators, and many engage in small-scale business activities. Women in rural areas are also generating income through activities such as crafts and tailoring. The Chagga are known for their sense of enterprise and strong work ethic.
Cuisine
The staple food of the Chagga people is bananas. Bananas are also used to make beer, their main beverage. The Chagga plant a variety of food crops, including bananas, millet, maize (corn), beans, and cassava. They also keep cattle, goats, and sheep. Due to limited land holdings and grazing areas, most Chagga people today are forced to purchase meat from butcher shops.
A pregnant woman's diet includes milk, sweet potatoes, yams, and butter, which are considered female foods. Bananas and beer are considered masculine and are not eaten by pregnant women.
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Chagga cuisine includes:
Various Chagga DishesMtori
Kitawa
Machalari
Ng'ande
Kiumbo
Ngararimo
Shiro
Ndafu
Kitalolo
Modern history
The current Chagga population is estimated at about 2 million.
They once lived under the rule of the Mangi Mkuu, even though they are not as organised as they used to be, and the Mangi is not involved in the day to day activities and life of the modern Chagga. The Mangi's are still respected by the chagga. The Paramount chief (chief of all chiefs) is Mangi Marealle. The Chagga are now modern wage earners in large modernised cities or abroad and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry around Kilimanjaro and Arusha areas.
The Chagga still hold onto some of their traditions, like the "kihamba", which is a family plot of land usually passed down from one generation to another.[2]
Coffee is the primary cash crop for many Chagga people after its introduction to the area in the late nineteenth century, although bananas and maize are also staples. The Chagga are also famous for a traditional brew known as mbege. It is made from a special variety of bananas and millet.
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Notable Chaggans
Business people
Reginald Mengi ~ Entrepreneur (IPP)
Nathaniel Mtui - First Chaggan Historian
Michael Shirima ~ founder and owner of Precision Air
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Politicians
Freeman Mbowe ~ CHADEMA
Augustine Mrema ~ TLP
Academics and writers
Prof. Leonard Shayo ~ Mathematician and former presidential candidate
See also [edit]
Kilimanjaro Region
Chaga languages
Kirombo Language
Kivunjo language
Thomas Marealle
Marealle
Mount Kilimanjaro
Tanzania
Moshi