Abstract The article parades those attributes in the Zimbabwean National Anthem that make it Zimb... more Abstract The article parades those attributes in the Zimbabwean National Anthem that make it Zimbabwean. Having shifted from an anthem for Africa as a continent, ‘Ishe Komborera Africa’, the current Zimbabwe national anthem, eulogizes some sense of patriotism, Zimbabwean hegemony and pride among the Zimbabwean populace. Every nation has its own identity that is mirrored through symbolic historical monuments, artifacts, dress codes and music including the national anthem. Zimbabweans, being the custodians of their identity, have risen up to the challenge of composing their own anthem through the late Solomon Mutswairo and Fred Changundega, who provided the text and score, respectively. Through a content analysis research method the article explains the musical elements that make up the Zimbabwean national anthem. From the research done a conclusion has been drawn that themes and ideologies associated with the Zimbabwean national anthem reflect aspects of nationalism, but in terms of musical compositional techniques some concepts such as rhythm, dynamics, and performance directions are inherited from foreign cultures.
African Music Journal of the International Library of African Music, 2017
The focus of this article is on Zimbabwean popular songs that adapt traditional Shona ngoma (drum... more The focus of this article is on Zimbabwean popular songs that adapt traditional Shona ngoma (drum) genres. Its purpose is twofold. First, the article identifies Zimbabwean popular musicians’ various approaches to the adaptation of traditional rhythmic patterns and song texts associated with certain ngoma genres. Second, it examines how these approaches influence the process of redefining the Shona musical tradition. It is argued that the traditional drumming patterns and styles incorporated within specific Shona popular songs have an important role in redefining this music culture within Zimbabwean popular music in general. A critical analysis is conducted on selected ngoma-influenced, Zimbabwean popular songs and the opinions expressed by the popular musicians who create the music. Three different approaches of adapting ngoma rhythms have been identified and are explained. These approaches are realised in the “integration” of musical and non-musical elements, “framework” as far as the imitation of structure is concerned, and “component”, as far as content is concerned.
Abstract The article parades those attributes in the Zimbabwean National Anthem that make it Zimb... more Abstract The article parades those attributes in the Zimbabwean National Anthem that make it Zimbabwean. Having shifted from an anthem for Africa as a continent, ‘Ishe Komborera Africa’, the current Zimbabwe national anthem, eulogizes some sense of patriotism, Zimbabwean hegemony and pride among the Zimbabwean populace. Every nation has its own identity that is mirrored through symbolic historical monuments, artifacts, dress codes and music including the national anthem. Zimbabweans, being the custodians of their identity, have risen up to the challenge of composing their own anthem through the late Solomon Mutswairo and Fred Changundega, who provided the text and score, respectively. Through a content analysis research method the article explains the musical elements that make up the Zimbabwean national anthem. From the research done a conclusion has been drawn that themes and ideologies associated with the Zimbabwean national anthem reflect aspects of nationalism, but in terms of musical compositional techniques some concepts such as rhythm, dynamics, and performance directions are inherited from foreign cultures.
African Music Journal of the International Library of African Music, 2017
The focus of this article is on Zimbabwean popular songs that adapt traditional Shona ngoma (drum... more The focus of this article is on Zimbabwean popular songs that adapt traditional Shona ngoma (drum) genres. Its purpose is twofold. First, the article identifies Zimbabwean popular musicians’ various approaches to the adaptation of traditional rhythmic patterns and song texts associated with certain ngoma genres. Second, it examines how these approaches influence the process of redefining the Shona musical tradition. It is argued that the traditional drumming patterns and styles incorporated within specific Shona popular songs have an important role in redefining this music culture within Zimbabwean popular music in general. A critical analysis is conducted on selected ngoma-influenced, Zimbabwean popular songs and the opinions expressed by the popular musicians who create the music. Three different approaches of adapting ngoma rhythms have been identified and are explained. These approaches are realised in the “integration” of musical and non-musical elements, “framework” as far as the imitation of structure is concerned, and “component”, as far as content is concerned.
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