Thread by @zenzele

In the Kalanga culture, some of the rituals of praying for rain include music for rain "praying" is for women and mayile.  Wosana music is performed by male and female dancers whereas mayile music is performed by females only.. #Asakhe,

Wosana songs are sung by a special group of people, also called wosana.

Wosana songs are a request and praise to the Bakalanga Supreme Deity Mwali. Wosana music is sung to ask for rain and good life. Wosana ritual music and dances are performed when rain does not come at the expected time of the year.

Wosana music performers are believed by Bakalanga to have been specially chosen by Mwali. Wosana normally come from the same families

The majority of wosana music performers are usually women .  When the wosana start dancing, they all converge in the direction of sunrise .

Mayile is the second type of rain praying music.  Only women perform this music.  Unlike wosana music, which is performed by wosana dancers only, mayile accepts any woman who feels like joining the dance.

Mayile performers sing and dance, running and clapping in a circulating manner.  .Whilst running, hand clapping and singing, the performers also criss-cross in turns around this circle. This criss-crossing style is said to be imitative of some birds associated with rain such

as njelele (eagle), nyenje (white stork), makololwani (storkbirds) and nyenganyenga (swallows).

Men and young children, both boys and girls, are not allowed in the dancing ground.  They can only be spectator

References :Nthoi, L S. 1998: Wosana Rite of Passage: Reflections on the initiation of Wosana in the Cult of Mwali in Zimbabwe: Rites of Passage in Contemporary Africa Cox, J. L. ed, Cardiff: Cardiff Academic Press.

Oosthuizen, 0 C: 1986: Religion Alive: Studies in the new Movements and indigenous churches in Southern Africa Johannesburg Hodder and Stoughton.
Van Waarden, C. 1999: Exploring Tati: Places of Historic and other interest in and around Francistown. Francistown: Marope Research.

Waters, S. M. 2000: The Drums and Marimbas of Botswana. Percussive Notes: The Journal of the Percussive Arts Society, 38, (3), 32-38.

Wentzel P. J. 1983: Nau dzabakalanga: A History of the Kalanga. Volume1. Pretoria: University of South Africa.

*Wosana( not woman.).