The Orchestration of Postcolonial Zimbabwe: The Soundtrack of the Three Zvimurenga and the Present

Abstract

In many African countries, music became an essential vehicle of communication and social expression in order to build new postcolonial states. Further, throughout their independence, many African states reconsidered the direction of national culture towards a decolonisation process. As part of the broad subject of decolonial studies, this article offers a critical approach to the relationship between music and the state during a crucial period of decolonisation in Zimbabwe, with specific reference to the nation-wide land occupations which spread across the country from 2000. In particular, the article examines the representation of musical culture during the fast track land reform programme in Zimbabwe, referred to as the Third Chimurenga. It was the most recent in a series of zvimurenga (or wars of liberation against colonialism). The First Chimurenga refers to the anti-colonial struggle against British colonial intrusions in the 1890s; and the Second Chimurenga to the liberation struggle for independence during the 1970s. According to the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party, full decolonisation only took place because of, and during, the Third Chimurenga. In this context, the notion of Chimurenga music has been defined as a form of cultural resistance against colonialism since the end of the 19th century. The article examines music during the Third Chimurenga by considering it historically and in relation to the post-Mugabe era from 2017. Thus, it focuses on music emanating from both Shona-speaking and Ndebele-speaking artists in favour of land reform, and from emergent musical perspectives outside the popular Chimurenga musical style as expressed in various kinds of Zimbabwean popular music during the 2000 era.