HISTORY OF ARTS AND CULTURE : Music

The role of precolonial, colonial and post-colonial songs.

 

Precolonial : This is the period before the whites came to Zimbabwe. During this period people were following their cultures. During this period, songs were sung to celebrate life , to teach moral values, to exalt/praise chiefs.At polygamous families songs were sung to complain or to answer back.Songs such as Chaminuka ndimambo, Chamutengure were sung




Colonial : This is the period when the whites came and colonised (take over power) the Africans. During this period, certain cultural activities were banned. People were moved from their ancestral land thereby disrupting their way of life.Forced labour and taxation were some of the ills of this period. People sang songs to protest against the ill-treatment. They also sang to give each other hope.

Chimurenga / Umvukela : This is the period when the Africans fought against the whites to liberate themselves from colonisation. In short the word Chimurenga refers to wars that were fought by blacks (the colonised) against the whites (the colonisers) There was the First Chimurenga of around 1890s and the Second Chimurenga of the 1970s.The second Chimurenga is the one that brought independence. The freedom fighters (guerrillas) would meet the villagers at night vigils (pungwe) to conscientise them on the war that was being waged.The freedom fighters used songs to put their message across. The songs were sung to educate, boost morale, highlight challenges faced and to show defiance.




Post-colonial: This is the period after independence was gained.People were now in a celebratory mood. The enemy had been defeated. This had happened against all odds. Songs were sung to celebrate the win. Commanders and leaders of the protracted war were praised. Hopes and aspirations were conveyed through songs. Major battles, heroes and heroines were immortalised through songs.

Relationship between music and historical events

Music or songs have been used to capture historical events. The events could have happened during the pre colonial, colonial, chimurenga or post colonial. The songs sung retell the life history of the people concerned. The songs spell out what the people went through.Thus through songs new generations know about  the Chaminukas, Nyadzonya and Chimoio.

Some of the songs capture children’s rights.They are sung to educate, to encourage and to point out where the rights are being trampled upon or to reinforce when the rights of children are being upheld. In turn, children are expected to be responsible citizens. The music that they produce should sober. They should avoid vulgar words.The music should encourage their peers to embrace Ubuntu.

Social function of music at different ceremonies

Music is played at events such as weddings, nhimbes and religious functions. It is also played at funerals.

At weddings music is played to entertain guests. It is also played to mock (though in jest) the bride.

music make the event celebratory in nature.

At funeral music is played to console the bereaved

At religious events music is played to praise the deity as well as to evoke supernatural powers. music is also used as a way of communicating with the supernatural. Through music, spirit mediums will be possessed.

People play music at different events for different reasons. At nhimbes music is used to entertain and encourage workers. It is used as positive reinforcement to those who will be working hard. Certain behaviours are also rebuked through songs.

TYPES OF MUSIC IN AFRICA

The following is a list of types of music found in Africa:

Sungura.

Sungura is a fast beat type of music. The name ‘sungura’ is Swahili for hare which is known for its speed.The sungura type of music originated from Zaire. It was brought to Zimbabwe by Mura Nyakura who had travelled to Zaire in 1948. The most popular sungura music group was the Sungura music band which was fronted by Ephraim Joe. Alick Macheso , John Chibadura , Simon Chimbetu ang System Tazvida are some of the artists who popularised tye genre.

Jiti

Jiti is another type of music that is characterized by a fast beat. It uses the electric guitar, electric bass and drums. It came about due to the influence of chimurenga music, Congolese rhumba and Tanzanian guitar styles.The Four Brothers, Chazezesa Challengers, The Bundu Boys popularised this type of music. Paul Mpofu of the Murambinda fame made the genre popular.

Mbira

Mbira is traditional music for Zimbabwe. Simon Mashoko and Mhuri yekwaMandaza made mbira music popular by recording it. Mbira dzeNharira also made the genre known. Chioniso Maraire and Stella Chiweshe also contributed a lot in making the type of music popular even beyond the Zimbabwean borders.The mbira is usually acompanied by percussion instruments like hosho rattles and ngoma.

Rhumba and Kanindo

Congolese rhumba is believed to have come from Cuba.This type of music became popular in Africa from around 1960s to 1970s.Kanindo is the east Africa version of rhumba. Phares Oluoch Kanindo, a Kenyan musician and politician made it popular by recording the music in the studio hence the name.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE MUSIC OF THE MODERN WORLD

Kwaito is a music genre that became popular in Johannesburg,South Africa, during the 1990s’

Jt ¡s a version of house music which is notable for its use of African sounds. It is performed

at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music. Kwaito often contains catchy

melodic and percussive loop samples, deep basslines and vocals. Although ít can be likened to

hip hop music, Kwaito has a unique way in which the lyrics are sung, rapped and shouted. It

is most popular among the black youth of South Africa.

Musicians are important in every society. They help with social commentary on events happening in the lives of the people.In the Zimbabwean context musicians have been playing different roles in the pre colonial , colonial chimurenga and post colonial periods.

 

 

Music from outside Africa

Classical, country, rhythm and blues and jazz

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues, commonly abbreviated as R&8, is a genre of popular music that originated in African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings  marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when “urbane, rocking, based music with a heavy, insistent beat” was becoming more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, one or more saxophones, and sometimes background vocalists. ,R&B themes often included the American experience of pain and the  quest for freedom and joy as well as successes and failures in terms of relationships, economics and aspirations.

Popular R&B vocalists at the end of the 20th century included Prince,R. Kelly, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey. In the 21st century R&B has remained apopular genre becoming more pop-oriented and alternatively influenced with successfulartists including Bruno Mars, Daft Punk, Robin Thicke, and Mark Ronson.

Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, IJnited States. It originated in the.late 19th and earþ 20th centuries and developed from roots in blues and’ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as America’s classical music’. Since the I920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression.

Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and

improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African American music traditions including blues ragtime, as well as European military music. Intellectuals around the world have jazz as one of America’s original art forms.

Frank Sinatra is one of the most popular jazz artists. He is known for the song ‘Fly me to the moon’

Country music

Country music, also known as western music, is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern United States of America in the early 1920s. It takes its roots from genres such as American folk. Common instruments used in country music are bass, drums, fiddle mandolin, banjo, piano and steel guitar.




Country music consists of ballads and dance tunes with simple forms, folk lyrics, and harmonies usually accompanied by string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic guitars, steel guitars (such as pedal steels and dobros), and fiddles as well as harmonicas. Blues modes have been used extensively throughout its recorded history. The most famous country musicians are Dolly Parton, Don Williams and Kenny Rogers.

Classical music

Classical music is a genre that involves the composing and recording of music using the staff notation.First forms of the European music notation was developed by the catholi9c monks who wanted to standardize their teachings ( liturgy) throughout the world. Staff notation is used by composers to show where there are are pitches and duration for a piece of music. Famous composers in this genres are : Henry Bach  Mozart   and Beethoven.

 

 

Reggae music

Reggae is a style of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. It was widely regarded as a voice for the oppressed. It called for total social economic and political emancipation of the people from the oppressors. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer are some of the most popular reggae artists. In  South Africa the late Lucky Dube popularised the reggae genre.

Chinese music

Chinese music is said to be influenced by belief in magic superstition and appeasement of the gods .Music was sung with poetry and accompanied by an instrument or instruments, giving birth to orchestras which included singers and dancers. Chinese musicians were directed by a conductor, a pattern followed by Western orchestras many years later.

Classification of music instruments

Musical instruments can be grouped into five categories. The categories are membranophones, chordophones, aerophones, idiophones and electrophones.

Membranophones.

These are instruments that have a membrane (skin) stretched over them. Sound is then produced when the membrane is hit, rubbed or pounded by a stick or by hand. Drums and tambourines fall in this category.

Chordophones

These get their name from the word chord which means string. Therefore chordophones are instruments  that have a stretched string. Sound is produced when the string is plucked or strummed. Violins, guitars, chipendani are examples of chordophones.

Aerophones

Aero means air. Aerphones are instruments that produce sound when air is blown into them. trumpets, bhosvo and saxophones are examples of aerophones.

Idiophones

Id means self. Idiophones are self sounding instruments. They do not have a string (chord) they donot have a membrane ( skin)stretched over them. Air is not blown into them to produce sound. Sound is generated when the instrument is hit. Hosho, marimba mbira and clappers are examples of idiophones.

Electrophones

These are instruments that use electronic technology to produce sound. In these instruments it is the technology which brings the sound to required audiosonic range. Pianos and electric guitars are examples of electrophones

Musical instruments can also classified into two major groups based on their origin. There are indigenous and foreign musical instruments.

 Indigenous instruments.

these are instruments that have been used by Africans from time immemorial. They have been passed from generation to generation. The mbira hosho and marimba are the major instruments in this cate

Mbira

Southern African people have used the mbira for centuries. The mbira consists of a series of different length strips of cane or metal, fastened above a wooden sounding board. To play mbira , you pluck these strips with your

thumbs, creating a sequence of pitched notes or semi pitched notes. A mbira has between twenty-two and twenty eight keys. The big long keys on the lower row produce bass sounds, and those on the upper left some baritone. The single row is divided into sounds like that of young men (to the left) and young women (to the right). To amplify the

sound, the mbira is often put inside a resonator, like a gourd. There are different types of mbira. Mbira dzevadzimu is often played at religious ceremonies.

Marimba

The indigenous marimba has three sequences of CDEFGABC keys on wooden planks that

are hit by a mallet or mallets. The notes on soprano and tenor marimba are as follows: C D EF # GA

BCDEF#GABCDEF#GABC Marimbas have graduated bars, meaning that the size of the bars change with each note.




Thicker bars will be found on the left side of the marimba and are lower in pitch. Thinner bars will be found toward the right side and will have higher pitches.

Hosho

Hosho can be made from most of the hard, resounding material. A pumpkin gourd an ideal shape. To make hosho, make a hole the gourd, empty out its seeds and fill with seed or pebbles, and then plug or seal the hole.

Hosho can be played in pairs, one in each or tied to the arms or ankles of a dancer.

 

Musicians have composed songs on several issues. Some musicians have written songs on health and children’s rights issues. Paul Matavire (aka Dr Love) released a song called “” where he sings zvimwe zvirwere zviri nane zvinorapika’ as the chorus. Among the many releases by Paul Matavire, it is interesting to note

that he also released a song on immunisation called Baisai vana. Thomas Mapfumo released a song entitled

‘Hoyo wauya mukondombera’ Leonard Karikoga Zhakata sang’Maruva enyika haaperi’ in which

he was teaching society not to be promiscuous. Oliver Mtukudzi sang’Mukuru ndiani ane mari

neane utano’ in which he was emphasizing on health issues. His most famous release was Todini

where he laments about the AIDS pandemic. Simon Chimbetu’s Mai vaJulie song also teaches

on health issues. John Chibadura’s song Pfuma yenhaka teaches society about some misfortunes or health

problems which befall some families in the wife or husband inheritance customs, especially

when the inherited wife or husband is HIV positive. Progress Chipfumo sang about children’s rights

in which he complains about child sexual abuse in his song Vanochema. .