Tsige Cultural Revival

The Tsige Cultural Revival was an artistic and social movement in Tsiba during the late eighties and nineties that saw a revival of interest in traditional Tsige culture. During this period there were large volumes of poems, novels, and music written in Tsidi. There was also a push within artistic circles to bring back traditional Shootsa worship. Much of the art from that period featured the three Shootsa deities or dealt with the issues of Tsige and Chida identity.

Origins

Tsige cultural practices, such as the speaking of the Tsidi language and practice of Shootsa, were banned or discouraged during the British colonial era. Tsidi remained spoken in private, but was becoming increasingly scarce as younger generations stopped speaking it.

However, in the late seventies, small groups of artists began appearing across Tsiba who utilized Tsige culture in their art. The most notable group was the Chaboo-hhada (Sour-art), consisting of Emetsi Tsu Bahhamada and her partner Behhapa Begytsy, as well as a rotating group of their friends and fellow artists. The Chaboo-hhada was based in To’etsy, the center of the Tsige Cultural Revival.

Notable Works

The following is an excerpt from Chootsi, Choobahhama (Myself, My Culture) a poem written by Emetsi Tsu Bahhamada in 1986. Chootsi, Choobahhama is often cited as an early influence on the Tsige Cultural Revival.

Tsi shageche
Dimashiche hu achimi
Buchaku tsidaboo,
Vi goo shipuhege
Tsi i micha-michoo,
I Bahhama-michoo,
I da-michoo,
Ke she achimi
Shigu’eche miki ke chaboo,
Ke she pubootsy
Bucha ke chatoo
Shigu’eche koo.

(Translation: I was/ Born with berries/ (Orange) in my mouth/ But they taught/ Me a foreign language/ A foreign culture/ A foreign people/ And the berries/ Became heavy and sour/ And the hills/ (Orange and green)/ Became dark.)

The songs of the pop duo The Evelyns were the first songs in Tsidi to become mainstream hits in Tsiba. While their work dealty less explicitly with the issues of Tsige identity, they brought the Tsige Cultural Revival to the mainstream.

Below is an excerpt from their song Ishumit (Sail), released in 1992.

Ishumit ve puto’e cha-by’o,
Ishumit ve puto’e hha ti-boo,
Ishumit ve puto’e cha-by’o.

(Translation: Sail for stormy water/ Sail for larger waves/ Sail for stormy water)

Legacy

The Tsige Cultural Revival brought Tsige culture, which had faded from prominence during the British colonial era and during the Islamist Era, back to it’s Persian Era importance. Since the Tsige Cultural Revival, the publication of works is Tsidi has nearly doubled across the country each year. An increasing percentage of Tsiba’s music is in Tsidi, and most films are now dubbed in both Tsidi and Farsi.

Before the Cultural Revival, the percentage of Shootsa practitioners was in decline. However, the percentage of the population that identifies as Shootsa is now growing, with over one in ten Tsiba identifying as Shootsa in 2019.