14th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Mutomboko - War dance of the Luba-Lunda Empire

Mutomboko is one of the biggest and most significant ceremonies in eastern and southern Africa, although beyond the region it´s nearly unknown. It is held by the Luba-Lunda people from Kazembe state in Mwansabombwe/Kazembe, northeastern Zambia. People are coming from all over the country and even from neighboring DR Congo. Mutomboko is the war dance of the Luba-Lunda, danced by the king Chief Mwata Kazembe in his traditional outfit at the end of two days of rituals and paying homage to the ancestors, dancing and chanting.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2016
Date Uploaded: 09.2016
Photo Location: Mwansabombwe/Kazembe, Zambia
Camera: LEICA Q (Typ 116)
Copyright: © Ulf Krone