Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance

In the year 2001 Zimbabwe promulgated the Broadcasting Services Act that mandated radio and television stations to play 75 percent local music. This local content policy was a loud statement of the government’s sustained efforts to fight western cultural imperialism. Over the years this policy led t...

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Main Authors: Wonder Maguraushe, Isaac Machafa
Other Authors: Department of Music Business, Musicology and Technology. Midlands State University.
Format: research article
Language:English
Published: Midlands State University Press 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5669
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348565481
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author Wonder Maguraushe
Isaac Machafa
author2 Department of Music Business, Musicology and Technology. Midlands State University.
author_facet Department of Music Business, Musicology and Technology. Midlands State University.
Wonder Maguraushe
Isaac Machafa
author_sort Wonder Maguraushe
collection DSpace
description In the year 2001 Zimbabwe promulgated the Broadcasting Services Act that mandated radio and television stations to play 75 percent local music. This local content policy was a loud statement of the government’s sustained efforts to fight western cultural imperialism. Over the years this policy led to a proliferation of local artists playing a plethora of music genres. This study set out to examine the role of music in fostering a Zimbabwean national identity. In order to achieve this objective, this study used the methods of media ethnography (radio and television), an empirical description and analysis of Zimbabwean music genres which emanated from extensive fieldwork as we interacted with musicians, fans, and music academics whom we purposively sampled in Zimbabwe. From a globalisation perspective, we trace the local and international creation of a Zimbabwean identity through music brands that have been marketed locally and throughout the world. Findings reveal that respondents experience a cultural bond when they listen to sungura, Zimbabwean dance-hall, Zimbabwean hip-hop, mbira, marimba, chimurenga and gospel music genres on the country’s soundscape. We argue that musical cultural representations in popular culture play a significant role in citizens’ construction of a Zimbabwean national identity in a highly dynamic globalised world.
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spelling ir-11408-56692023-05-29T09:29:08Z Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance Wonder Maguraushe Isaac Machafa Department of Music Business, Musicology and Technology. Midlands State University. Music Business, Musicology and Technology. Midlands State University. music and dance performance, , , national cultural identity popular culture Zimbabwean music styles and genres In the year 2001 Zimbabwe promulgated the Broadcasting Services Act that mandated radio and television stations to play 75 percent local music. This local content policy was a loud statement of the government’s sustained efforts to fight western cultural imperialism. Over the years this policy led to a proliferation of local artists playing a plethora of music genres. This study set out to examine the role of music in fostering a Zimbabwean national identity. In order to achieve this objective, this study used the methods of media ethnography (radio and television), an empirical description and analysis of Zimbabwean music genres which emanated from extensive fieldwork as we interacted with musicians, fans, and music academics whom we purposively sampled in Zimbabwe. From a globalisation perspective, we trace the local and international creation of a Zimbabwean identity through music brands that have been marketed locally and throughout the world. Findings reveal that respondents experience a cultural bond when they listen to sungura, Zimbabwean dance-hall, Zimbabwean hip-hop, mbira, marimba, chimurenga and gospel music genres on the country’s soundscape. We argue that musical cultural representations in popular culture play a significant role in citizens’ construction of a Zimbabwean national identity in a highly dynamic globalised world. 11 2 157 153 2023-05-29T09:29:07Z 2023-05-29T09:29:07Z 2017-01 research article https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5669 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348565481 en The Dyke open Midlands State University Press
spellingShingle music and dance performance, , ,
national cultural identity
popular culture
Zimbabwean music styles and genres
Wonder Maguraushe
Isaac Machafa
Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance
title Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance
title_full Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance
title_fullStr Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance
title_full_unstemmed Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance
title_short Popular culture in contemporary Zimbabwe Towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance
title_sort popular culture in contemporary zimbabwe towards fostering a national cultural identity through music performance
topic music and dance performance, , ,
national cultural identity
popular culture
Zimbabwean music styles and genres
url https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5669
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348565481
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