By Blessing Vava
 |
| Freedom fighter-Thomas Mapfumo |
The past and present centuries
have been awash with artistic productions and cultural practises that speak
towards political life- whether dynamic or static arts and culture have played
a big influence and role in influencing society and public discourse and
participation in politics. The arts and culture have been catalysts for
positive social change and transformation. They represent the ideals, norms and
standard acceptable group behaviours with which a people identify with and are
obliged to comply for the sake of social harmony and co-habitation - crudely
understood as social order. It is the idealism of a normative world that artistic
and cultural acts seek to raise by exposing socio-economic and political ills.
From a crude understanding one would define culture as the ideas, customs, and
social behaviour of a particular people or society. Many a times it is these
ideas and customs that regulate human interaction and form the basis of our
political system. John Street in his cultural determinist interpretation of
politics asserts the inextricable nexus between culture and politics arguing
thus ‘if we fail to take popular culture seriously, we impoverish our
understanding of the conflicting currents and aspirations which fuel politics.’
In this paper I seek to reinforce the credible role that arts and culture play
in fostering public awareness and positive political transformation towards an
idealised society.
Culture, for instance is a
peace keeping phenomenon that undermines conflict reconfiguration by giving
emphasis to solutions on specific social or political ills while moulding or
reasserting group identities - e.g
the popular expression of the spirit of Ubuntu. Identity emanates through the
expression of artistic skills that are unique to our own society sometimes
known as cultural relativism. In conflict scenarios culture tends to be the
stringent to further harm or violations as it teaches us to tolerate one
another and humanity is thus promoted. In this regard culture can be said to be
that emphasis to live and observe a set of moral etiquette. The principle of
morality in politics is one which this paper will devote some effort to.
Liberation political movements often find their niche in political conflicts by
rallying people around morality and cultural progression. It is the mention of
moral lessons of life that distinguishes right from wrong, oppression from
freedom and anarchy from order.
Global politics has always
been a sphere of conceptual conflict over the role that arts and culture play
with radical Universalists arguing for cultural erosion into a global entity,
it is cultural relativism that remains safeguarding national sovereignty and
preservation of identities. What is of interest is that political universalism
has also tended to derive part of its legitimacy to morality - governments that
violate human rights are seen as immoral. The discourse on human rights itself
derives from natural law which emphasize morality in political organisation.
Natural law becomes an aspect related to Culture - which envisages an ideal
society.
Numerous artistic plays have
been produced over the years to challenge oppression or suppression of rights
of citizens or challenge a specific social construct such a play would be
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which challenged the vagaries of societies built
around a caste system - divisions based on wealth. In Zimbabwe, Charles Mungoshi’s
‘Coming of the Dry Season’ is one notable play that exposed the excesses of
British colonialism while rallying the youth to take up a leadership role as a
vanguard of the liberation movement. In post-colonial Zimbabwe the piece serves
as a reminder of the principles that rallied national independence. It is
indeed indispensable that arts and culture would give young people or a society
an opportunity to introspect on social and political structures that they had
not been inclined to.
Arts and Culture can be
expressed through music or play which is also known as protest arts often
popular in closed societies. Protest artists use the banner of entertainment to
trigger critical thinking among audiences on particular issues using riddles as
a modicum of communication. There are many politically charged pieces of fine
art - such as Picasso's Guernica, some of Norman Carlberg's Vietnam War-era
Work, or Susan Crile's images of torture at Abu Ghraib. In contemporary times
Tafadzwa Muzondo is one such artist with his painting and plays, the Zimbabwe
Poets for Human Rights have also exposed the vagaries of dictatorships and
misgovernment through poetry. Social movements produce such works as signs,
banners, posters, and other printed materials used to convey a particular cause
or message. Often, such art is used as part of demonstrations or acts of civil
disobedience. These works tend to be ephemeral, characterized by their
portability and disposability, and are frequently not authored or owned by any
one person - such as the famous anonymous authors. The various peace symbols
and the raised fist are two examples that highlight the democratic ownership of
these signs. Protest art also includes (but is not limited to) performance,
site-specific installations, graffiti and street art, and crosses the
boundaries of art genres, media, and disciplines. While some protest art is
associated with trained and professional artists or musicians, an extensive
knowledge of art is not required to take part in protest art. Protest artists
frequently bypass the art-world institutions and commercial gallery system in
an attempt to reach a wider audience.
It has long been established
that some aspects of Arts and Culture e.g. music, play a significant role in
promoting health, social cohesion and uniting society. Schools with strong fine
arts departments have, according to recent studies, achieved higher grades than
those without. This is often alluded to the emphasis on critical thought. To
this end Arts and Culture enhance and change life for the better.
Zimbabwe is a classic case of
a nation that has evolved over time experiencing changes of different magnitude
often facilitated by arts and culture. This paper will explore narratives,
tracing back to the 14th century, early years of colonisation, Zimbabwe’s war
of liberation and post-independence. The importance of the arts and culture in
political transformation cannot be underestimated especially in the democracy
debate of any society.
During the 14th century, a
classic piece of art/architecture, the Great Zimbabwe was constructed by the
Mutapa people south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwe and the town
of Masvingo. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country's
Late Iron Age. Construction on the monument by ancestors of the Shona people
began in the 11th century and continued until the 14th century. It was a
cultural heritage and until today it plays as one of Zimbabwe’s best tourism a
site which has thus led to the booming of the tourism in the industry in
Masvingo. Masvingo now boasts of several hotels and thus created employment for
the locals. The artistic value of the great Zimbabwe is also seen in the eight
Zimbabwe birds carved from micaceous schist (soapstone) on the tops of
monoliths the height of a person, until this day the bird is part of national
insignia on our national flag. It is
this artistic creation that has become the symbol of nationhood not to
underestimate the importance that it played in the liberation struggle from
colonial bondage. Nationalist struggles were equally driven by the desire to
protect and preserve national heritage and culture. Many are privy of how
Nehanda and Kaguvi mourned the westernisation project on African soil and the
elderly would dramatised narrate stories of how colonial incursion had led to
an assimilated western culture. These artistic and cultural expressions were to
be the rallying point of the decolonisation project and equally the same tune
sung by the early nationalist movements dominates post-colonial Zimbabwe’s
political discourse though now dominated by a mantra of hatred meant to stall
democratic dialogue and progress.
Zimbabwe has had a long
history of a protracted war of liberation during the colonial era where music
and dance played a significant role during that time. To a greater extent music
was a powerful tool in driving the war of liberation. The power of art has
deeper effect and emotional therapeutic effect in any society. Some scholars
have since argued that indeed the war was won through song and dance, drama and
poetry. Those who participated during the war had left their homes, their
beloved wives, children and parents in pursuit of one goal, to liberate the
country from the yoke of colonialism. In a war environment there is a lot of
emotional stress resulting from the deaths, injuries, and violence and above
all the stress of living in the bush away from the comfort of one’s home and
away from their beloved ones. There had to be ways of dealing with stress, ease
tension as the war was progressing. Music, song, dance and drama became a
common phenomenon in the war of liberation. As one scholar said: ‘’Music plays
a powerful role in society. It plays a prominent role in the ability to create
associations to place and to cause emotional impact. Music has the potential to
influence emotions and to positively express the sense of belonging to a
specific group; it can also communicate antagonistic attitudes towards other
groups.’’(Grant et al. 2010: 185). Zimbabwean music has played a major role in
social identity formation. In the
everyday life of the people, Zimbabwean music threads throughout the society.
It not only predates colonialism but also
links to Zimbabwean historical and cultural processes. Many of the songs
are about the problems of the poor, and most of the musicians live in the same
locations as their listeners. "Music was a central part of Zimbabwean
society, e.g. in times of war and peace at workplaces, in the home and outdoor,
in religion and social ceremonies (rain-making, collective labor, religion,
marriage, death or love, for instance) (Mano 2007: 67)." This article traces the role music and other
forms of art during and after independence, and the present day. It will
highlight how music has continued to play influence in either shaping political
discourse of social transformation. The
extent of influence and importance come in different ways which will be
explored in this paper.
Pre-independence-Music
and the War of Liberation
Zimbabwe’s war of liberation
started in 1966 which marked the second Chimurenga (war of liberation). During
that time guerrillas used to do night vigils known as pungwes and these were
gatherings which were meant to provide entertainment, relieve stress and it was
again a platform to boost morale and inspire the fighters. Songs that were
composed during that time mirrored the trials and tribulations of the oppressed
masses. It gave society hope and the zeal to fight oppression and most of the
compositions were in the vernacular language, mainly to create a language
barrier with the whites because the some of the lyrics were insulting. Music
and poetry were tools and forms of social commentary that were used to move the
masses to act. Several talented musicians emerged in the bush, and composed
music that inspired the guerrillas.
Musicians like Dickson Chingaira better known as Cde Chinx, LMG Choir,
ZANLA Choir, composed inspirational songs that drove the war of
liberation. Songs like Maruza imi (You
have lost) suggesting that the Rhodesians have lost the war became anthems
during pungwes and they gave the fighters hope that indeed the war will be won.
Other compositions merely played a unifying role as it created a strong bond
amongst the fighters who were drawn from different tribal, geographical
backgrounds. Songs like nzira dzemasoja (A soldier’s code of conduct) were
songs that guided the conduct of the guerrillas in the bush it spoke how a
soldier must behave, to obey rules and regulations, not to exploit or rob the
masses, return anything confiscated for military reasons. Music was also used
as a mobilisation tool to recruit fighters. There are other musicians who were
not necessarily in the battlefront but whose music inspired the struggle and
the masses of this country. One such outstanding musician is Thomas Mapfumo,
who sang about politics, social injustices, poverty and chooses highly emotive
lyrics. He championed the plight of the rural masses by singing protest songs
which criticised the colonial regime. Before independence he did compositions
such as Hokoyo (Watch out), Pfumve paruzevha (Hardships in the rural
areas) which depicted the plight of the rural people ar a time when the freedom
fighters were in battle with the Rhodesian army. Songs like, Tumira Vana Kuhondo (1977) ("Send
Their Children to War"), were meant to mobilise young men and women to
join the war of liberation. To show the extent of influence in Mapfumo’s
compositions in the society, the state banned his songs from being played on
radio and he was arrested on several occasions as a result.
Another musician whose music
had great impact and influence during that time was Oliver Mtukudzi. He recorded ‘Dzandimomotera’ which was inspired directly by Zimbabwe’s 1970s
war of liberation. The song depicted the black man’s life struggles under the
minority white settler regime; it was a troubled man’s prayer for redemption.
Oliver’s compositions were about people’s power, freedom and hope. He also did
‘Mutavara,’ a song was about a man
bidding farewell as he leaves home to take up arms. After the country attained
independence from British colonial rule in 1980, Oliver released his fourth
album, titled ‘Africa’ which carried hits like ‘Zimbabwe’ a celebratory song
for majority rule. The title track to the album ‘Africa’ symbolized the
people’s determination for self-rule.
Before independence and during
the colonial period, Oliver’s lyrics spoke against white supremacy rule under
the Rhodesian regime. Mtukudzi’s music carefully spoke against oppression and
the repressive regime and how the black people were suffering because of
colonisation. As for poetry, liberation war poets like Christopher Magadza, Freedom
Nyamubaya and Thomas Bvuma focused on the fighter’s experience of the war,
although the former transcends this by offering an inclusive nationalist and
trans-nationalist perspective. All three poets question the direction the
postcolonial state has taken. Magadza, despite the conservatism of form and
diction, uses language of indictment associated with African oral literature to
castigate cultural and political defilement, and short national memory in his
poems ‘Ghosts in the Maize Fields’ and ‘Quiet Diplomacy’. It is not just bodies
that are eliminated and disappear but also the nation’s capacity to remember
and mourn those destroyed by a revolution that has gone wrong(An Overview of
Zimbabwean poetry 2008).
Post-independence
At the don of independence,
music continued to play a great influence in our society. The main actors were
of course Mapfumo and Mtukudzi. In 1980, the government of Zimbabwe invited
Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley. Years to come we also saw musicians like
Thomas Mapfumo at the forefront singing against corruption especially in 1987
when government ministers were involved in a vehicle scandal called the
Willowvale scandal. The government banned the song corruption and Mapfumo
became a target as lyrics on his song corruption raised awareness to the
nation. Numerous other musicians have since emerged exposing social and
economic ills - another famous being Leonard Karikoga Zhakata with his ‘Mugove’ and Mubikira hits. Oliver Mtukudzi’s ‘Bvuma’ was interpreted by society as showing a dented autocrat who
continues to cling to power, the song saw legal prosecutions of members of the
public who used the song to ‘undermine the person of the president.’ The post
2000 era presents an interesting development when political parties scrambling
for power used music as a way of rallying their supporters and selling their
manifestos, ZANU PF had its Mbare choir, Tambaoga and Bornfree Crew while the
MDC had protest songs from Paul Madzore and Dread Reckless. What is striking is
the realisation, that through entertainment political messages can be
communicated which have a direct bearing on how people associate with their
leadership or challenge a status quo. Civics working in human rights have also
(though not exhausted) the use of art and culture in peace building and
democratisation processes.
Conclusion
From the discussion the paper
has analysed the conceptual and theoretical frameworks around the significance
of culture and politics tracing the empiricism of its global use then narrowing
down to internal political processes that have been communicated through arts
in Zimbabwe. It is therefore indispensable for political and social movements
to impact communities by way of art that reignites the cultural foundations of
Zimbabwean society as we return to a political normative discourse of a fairer
and better future. The evolution of culture and its seemingly global outlook
still derives from the Natural School of Law of a just world.
Nb-Extract from a Book titled Arts and Culture in a Changing Society
published by the KAF 2014. Here I present it in its raw state. All rights reserved, no part of this publication may
be reproduced without permission from the author.
