Pub Date : 2018-01-02DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2018.1482093
Collen Sabao
ABSTRACT The role played by music as “popular culture” in political campaigning and in the perpetuation and sustenance of political hegemonies is a very significant one. Music and its accompaniment of dance is a common and popular channel through which political hegemonies are (re)constructed, (re)negotiated and perpetuated. In Zimbabwe the two largest political parties (ZANU-PF and MDC-T) both “own” musical ensembles who have been constantly and consistently producing political party specific lyrics as part of the utilisation of music as popular culture in the broader political discourse of electioneering and election campaigning. Musical lyrics exude attempts at the (re)construction and (re)negotiation of political meaning and reality and by extension the (re)negotiation and (re)configuration of power relations and dynamics. Selected lyrics from the ZANU-PF musical ensemble, Mbare Chimurenga Choir, are examined through the discourse linguistic theory of Appraisal. This is done by examining how the proliferation of linguistic resources that espouse politically and ideologically embedded positive attitudinal resources exhibit a perpetuation of Robert Mugabe’s rule, legacy and hegemony and by extension, that of ZANU-PF. While the analysis is largely couched within Appraisal Theory, the study also draws insights from Gramscian hegemony studies as well as Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The study observes and discusses, as the context for analysis of the discourse linguistic structure of the lyrics, the political environment prevailing in Zimbabwe during the period in which analysed songs were produced. Language (the lyrics), is in this regard perceived of as a superstructural semiotic tool through which hegemonies are (re)constructed, (re)negotiated and sustained.
{"title":"Hegemonising Zimbabwe? The Polity of Mbare Chimurenga Lyrics in Perpetuating Mugabe’s and ZANU-PF’s Rule","authors":"Collen Sabao","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2018.1482093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2018.1482093","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The role played by music as “popular culture” in political campaigning and in the perpetuation and sustenance of political hegemonies is a very significant one. Music and its accompaniment of dance is a common and popular channel through which political hegemonies are (re)constructed, (re)negotiated and perpetuated. In Zimbabwe the two largest political parties (ZANU-PF and MDC-T) both “own” musical ensembles who have been constantly and consistently producing political party specific lyrics as part of the utilisation of music as popular culture in the broader political discourse of electioneering and election campaigning. Musical lyrics exude attempts at the (re)construction and (re)negotiation of political meaning and reality and by extension the (re)negotiation and (re)configuration of power relations and dynamics. Selected lyrics from the ZANU-PF musical ensemble, Mbare Chimurenga Choir, are examined through the discourse linguistic theory of Appraisal. This is done by examining how the proliferation of linguistic resources that espouse politically and ideologically embedded positive attitudinal resources exhibit a perpetuation of Robert Mugabe’s rule, legacy and hegemony and by extension, that of ZANU-PF. While the analysis is largely couched within Appraisal Theory, the study also draws insights from Gramscian hegemony studies as well as Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The study observes and discusses, as the context for analysis of the discourse linguistic structure of the lyrics, the political environment prevailing in Zimbabwe during the period in which analysed songs were produced. Language (the lyrics), is in this regard perceived of as a superstructural semiotic tool through which hegemonies are (re)constructed, (re)negotiated and sustained.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"15 1","pages":"109 - 130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2018-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2018.1482093","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43496840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2016.1249163
O. S. Titus
ABSTRACT Protests result from unpleasant situations and the need for change in the social and economic conditions of the people. Music is often employed during protests. Several articles have been conducted on the Occupy Nigeria protest of 2012. However, little has been said about the musical sound space that mobilised the masses to embark on protest marches in Nigeria. This article focuses on sound space as employed during the Occupy Nigeria protest of 2012. It analyses the movements of people from the social media space to a musical space, as witnessed during the protests in Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota Lagos. It further analyses the content of the music of selected musicians, whose music was played, or who personally performed during the protest. Both primary and secondary data were used. The data included interviews with protesters and some musicians in Lagos state, Nigeria. Secondary sources included books, periodicals, journals, the use of YouTube videos of the protesting masses, as well as information sourced from the net. Based on Deprivations-Frustrations-Aggressions and critical discourse analysis (CDA) theories, the findings show that the organised protest started on the media space and was sustained through the sound space at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park. The article further argues that the music space was not a jamboree, but a revolutionary movement against the government of the day in Nigeria.
{"title":"From Social Media Space to Sound Space: Protest Songs during Occupy Nigeria Fuel Subsidy Removal","authors":"O. S. Titus","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2016.1249163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2016.1249163","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Protests result from unpleasant situations and the need for change in the social and economic conditions of the people. Music is often employed during protests. Several articles have been conducted on the Occupy Nigeria protest of 2012. However, little has been said about the musical sound space that mobilised the masses to embark on protest marches in Nigeria. This article focuses on sound space as employed during the Occupy Nigeria protest of 2012. It analyses the movements of people from the social media space to a musical space, as witnessed during the protests in Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota Lagos. It further analyses the content of the music of selected musicians, whose music was played, or who personally performed during the protest. Both primary and secondary data were used. The data included interviews with protesters and some musicians in Lagos state, Nigeria. Secondary sources included books, periodicals, journals, the use of YouTube videos of the protesting masses, as well as information sourced from the net. Based on Deprivations-Frustrations-Aggressions and critical discourse analysis (CDA) theories, the findings show that the organised protest started on the media space and was sustained through the sound space at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park. The article further argues that the music space was not a jamboree, but a revolutionary movement against the government of the day in Nigeria.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"109 - 128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2016.1249163","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41569948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2017.1385412
Andeline dos Santos, C. Lotter
ABSTRACT This report documents a music-centred training programme for community health workers (CHWs) and untrained community health volunteers in South Africa. The five-day programme is run not only to provide CHWs and volunteers with enriching musical experiences but, most importantly, to enhance their capacity to facilitate musical interactions with those they serve, thus supporting and supplementing their skill set. The pedagogical foundation of the course has been developed upon principles from both community music and appreciative pedagogy, with additional theoretical perspectives also drawn from the notion of musical capital. Six of the activities presented within the course are discussed: drumming, storytelling techniques including “musical dialogue,” “four-piece poem,” and “story creation,” and activities entitled “sonic sketch,” and “body sculpture.” A theoretical and empirical underpinning is provided for each activity, followed by a description of how the process of experiential learning is facilitated. Examples are offered, demonstrating participants’ experiences either during the course or in their workplace after completion of the training.
{"title":"Awakening Musical Facilitators: An Innovative Creative Arts Training Programme for Community Health Workers and Community Health Volunteers","authors":"Andeline dos Santos, C. Lotter","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2017.1385412","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2017.1385412","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This report documents a music-centred training programme for community health workers (CHWs) and untrained community health volunteers in South Africa. The five-day programme is run not only to provide CHWs and volunteers with enriching musical experiences but, most importantly, to enhance their capacity to facilitate musical interactions with those they serve, thus supporting and supplementing their skill set. The pedagogical foundation of the course has been developed upon principles from both community music and appreciative pedagogy, with additional theoretical perspectives also drawn from the notion of musical capital. Six of the activities presented within the course are discussed: drumming, storytelling techniques including “musical dialogue,” “four-piece poem,” and “story creation,” and activities entitled “sonic sketch,” and “body sculpture.” A theoretical and empirical underpinning is provided for each activity, followed by a description of how the process of experiential learning is facilitated. Examples are offered, demonstrating participants’ experiences either during the course or in their workplace after completion of the training.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"16 - 35"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2017.1385412","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46789202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2017.1379884
S. Harrop-Allin, V. Hume, J. Fabian, H. Etheredge, Michael McCallum
ABSTRACT This article reports on the evaluation of a new partnership between the University of the Witwatersrand’s Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) and the Music Division at the Wits School of Arts (WSOA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Established in 2015, the partnership aims to bring live music to the wards of WDGMC through a student placement in the hospital, which forms part of the Bachelor of Music students’ fourth year Community Music course. The article examines the effects of live music performances on patients, staff, and hospital spaces more broadly. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire, nurse, and student focus groups, as well as student academic essays. The results revealed a range of benefits and suggest that live music performances may be able to humanise hospital spaces, enabling different modes of musical engagements that confer agency and control to patients, their carers, and nurses. The article concludes by advocating for a mutually-beneficial relationship between the health sciences and the arts, through community music interventions such as this pilot Wits “music in hospital” project.
{"title":"“Humanising Healthcare Spaces”: Report on the Development and Impact of a Music Collaboration Between Community Music and Donald Gordon Medical Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa","authors":"S. Harrop-Allin, V. Hume, J. Fabian, H. Etheredge, Michael McCallum","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2017.1379884","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2017.1379884","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article reports on the evaluation of a new partnership between the University of the Witwatersrand’s Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) and the Music Division at the Wits School of Arts (WSOA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Established in 2015, the partnership aims to bring live music to the wards of WDGMC through a student placement in the hospital, which forms part of the Bachelor of Music students’ fourth year Community Music course. The article examines the effects of live music performances on patients, staff, and hospital spaces more broadly. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire, nurse, and student focus groups, as well as student academic essays. The results revealed a range of benefits and suggest that live music performances may be able to humanise hospital spaces, enabling different modes of musical engagements that confer agency and control to patients, their carers, and nurses. The article concludes by advocating for a mutually-beneficial relationship between the health sciences and the arts, through community music interventions such as this pilot Wits “music in hospital” project.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"55 - 80"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2017.1379884","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45168279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2017.1403862
S. Gukurume
ABSTRACT Zimbabwe’s protracted anti-Euro-American imperialist rhetoric and subsequent draconian policies that imposed a 100 per cent local content on national radio and television birthed a particular type of popular urban youth music genre (urban grooves), which has radically transformed the urban public sphere in the country. In this article, I examine the music and lyrics of one prominent gospel urban grooves artist—Mudiwa “Hood” Mutandwa. I particularly analyse the complex intersections of his musical discourse with prosperity gospel dogma propagated in contemporary Pentecostal Charismatic Churches (PCCs). Mudiwa’s musical discourse resonates with prosperity gospel ideologies propagated in the emergent and popular PCCs in Zimbabwe. Mudiwa’s music not only creates, but also reinforces a consumerist and materialist culture amongst the urban youth in Harare. Although Mudiwa’s musical discourse runs counter to the grim economic realities on the ground, it enables the deprived urban youth to symbolically make sense of their nostalgic and yet elusive aspirations of being wealthy in an economic and political crisis symptomatic of a postcolonial state.
{"title":"Singing Positivity: Prosperity Gospel in the Musical Discourse of Popular Youth Hip-Hop Gospel in Zimbabwe","authors":"S. Gukurume","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2017.1403862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2017.1403862","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Zimbabwe’s protracted anti-Euro-American imperialist rhetoric and subsequent draconian policies that imposed a 100 per cent local content on national radio and television birthed a particular type of popular urban youth music genre (urban grooves), which has radically transformed the urban public sphere in the country. In this article, I examine the music and lyrics of one prominent gospel urban grooves artist—Mudiwa “Hood” Mutandwa. I particularly analyse the complex intersections of his musical discourse with prosperity gospel dogma propagated in contemporary Pentecostal Charismatic Churches (PCCs). Mudiwa’s musical discourse resonates with prosperity gospel ideologies propagated in the emergent and popular PCCs in Zimbabwe. Mudiwa’s music not only creates, but also reinforces a consumerist and materialist culture amongst the urban youth in Harare. Although Mudiwa’s musical discourse runs counter to the grim economic realities on the ground, it enables the deprived urban youth to symbolically make sense of their nostalgic and yet elusive aspirations of being wealthy in an economic and political crisis symptomatic of a postcolonial state.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"36 - 54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2017.1403862","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45141353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Kwaito’s Promise: Music and the Aesthetics of Freedom in South Africa","authors":"Lindelwa Dalamba","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2017.1393195","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2017.1393195","url":null,"abstract":"(2017). Kwaito’s Promise: Music and the Aesthetics of Freedom in South Africa. Muziki: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 129-133.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"129 - 133"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2017.1393195","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46431936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2017.1393319
P. Onanuga
ABSTRACT The ubiquity of music renders it a telling reflection of the representations of the viewpoints and concerns—ethos and mores—of the milieu within which it is produced. Hip-hop as a global genre has been domesticated in every society in which it has found expression. Despite its noteworthy contributions and roles, hip-hop has gained notoriety and has been trailed by allegations of glorifying crime, materialism, violence, drugs and misogyny. In the present study, I examine the portrayal of women by male artistes in Nigerian hip-hop videos vis-à-vis the sociocultural nuances of the Nigerian environment. The lyrics and videos of three songs by three popular Nigerian artistes constitute the data. Relying on the “social-based” theoretical dictates of multimodal social semiotics and the performativity theory, attention is paid to both linguistic and non-linguistic modes in the data. The linguistic features examined reflected demeaning language used in portraying rape/sexual assault, sexual conquest and physical violence against women. On the other hand, the non-linguistic modes framed women as hedonistic, money-driven, capricious, and covetous. Women are also presented as sexual objects to satisfy the lust of the patriarchal and phallocentric society. The gaze and demeanour of the female personas were found suggestive of complicity, geared at maintaining the status-quo. These findings are significant particularly as there is ample evidence to suggest that music wields considerable influence in framing the behaviour of its audience.
{"title":"Of Commodities and Objects: Women and Their Representations in Nigerian Hip-Hop","authors":"P. Onanuga","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2017.1393319","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2017.1393319","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The ubiquity of music renders it a telling reflection of the representations of the viewpoints and concerns—ethos and mores—of the milieu within which it is produced. Hip-hop as a global genre has been domesticated in every society in which it has found expression. Despite its noteworthy contributions and roles, hip-hop has gained notoriety and has been trailed by allegations of glorifying crime, materialism, violence, drugs and misogyny. In the present study, I examine the portrayal of women by male artistes in Nigerian hip-hop videos vis-à-vis the sociocultural nuances of the Nigerian environment. The lyrics and videos of three songs by three popular Nigerian artistes constitute the data. Relying on the “social-based” theoretical dictates of multimodal social semiotics and the performativity theory, attention is paid to both linguistic and non-linguistic modes in the data. The linguistic features examined reflected demeaning language used in portraying rape/sexual assault, sexual conquest and physical violence against women. On the other hand, the non-linguistic modes framed women as hedonistic, money-driven, capricious, and covetous. Women are also presented as sexual objects to satisfy the lust of the patriarchal and phallocentric society. The gaze and demeanour of the female personas were found suggestive of complicity, geared at maintaining the status-quo. These findings are significant particularly as there is ample evidence to suggest that music wields considerable influence in framing the behaviour of its audience.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"108 - 81"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2017.1393319","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41579049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2017.1418044
Marc Duby
{"title":"Editorial","authors":"Marc Duby","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2017.1418044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2017.1418044","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"1 - 2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2017.1418044","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47382917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2016.1249161
A. Arko-Achemfuor
ABSTRACT Highlife music has been in existence in the West African sub-region for centuries; and has been sung during various social and political occasions. In Ghana, highlife music has continued to evolve and has incorporated other types of music. Kojo Antwi has been one of the towering figures on the Ghanaian music scene for nearly three and half decades. He has been called Mr Music Man, the King of Hearts, and has won several prestigious national and international awards. Most of the artists in Ghana sing about various social, economic and political issues. Kojo Antwi appears to have, to a large extent, focused on educating and entertaining his fans, especially the youth and adults on issues of marriage and love. Therefore, this article analyses six songs by Kojo Antwi, which draw the attention of the audience to the challenges lovers and married couples need to be aware of in the game of relationships.
{"title":"Three and a Half Decades of Kojo Antwi in Educating Adults and the Youth about Marriage and Love through Highlife Music in Ghana","authors":"A. Arko-Achemfuor","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2016.1249161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2016.1249161","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Highlife music has been in existence in the West African sub-region for centuries; and has been sung during various social and political occasions. In Ghana, highlife music has continued to evolve and has incorporated other types of music. Kojo Antwi has been one of the towering figures on the Ghanaian music scene for nearly three and half decades. He has been called Mr Music Man, the King of Hearts, and has won several prestigious national and international awards. Most of the artists in Ghana sing about various social, economic and political issues. Kojo Antwi appears to have, to a large extent, focused on educating and entertaining his fans, especially the youth and adults on issues of marriage and love. Therefore, this article analyses six songs by Kojo Antwi, which draw the attention of the audience to the challenges lovers and married couples need to be aware of in the game of relationships.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"15 - 3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2016.1249161","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45912152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-01-02DOI: 10.1080/18125980.2017.1322470
G. Ncube, David Chipfupa
ABSTRACT Rap and hip-hop are often characterised as musical genres replete with foul language, hyper-masculinity, misogyny, violence and egocentrism. The music of two Zimbabwean rappers Outspoken Tha Humble Neophyte (Tongai Leslie Makawa) and Synik (Gerald Mugwenhi) differs considerably from this stereotypical perception of rap and hip-hop. This article argues that the music of these two rappers is transcendental in its depiction and critique of life in contemporary urban Zimbabwe. Concentrating on two albums by these artists, the article examines how the music goes beyond entertainment as it offers a socio-political and cultural critique and self-reflexive space of thinking through diverse issues afflicting modern-day Zimbabwe. In a country where the public sphere is heavily censored by the state, making open and sincere discussions impossible, the music of these two artists proposes an alternative space to think through various matters. The article contends that music has the “illocutionary force” to unsettle ways of thinking, knowing and understanding the diverse and complicated realities we so often experience.
{"title":"Outspoken Cynics? Rethinking the Social Consciousness of Rap and Hip-Hop Music in Zimbabwe","authors":"G. Ncube, David Chipfupa","doi":"10.1080/18125980.2017.1322470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/18125980.2017.1322470","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Rap and hip-hop are often characterised as musical genres replete with foul language, hyper-masculinity, misogyny, violence and egocentrism. The music of two Zimbabwean rappers Outspoken Tha Humble Neophyte (Tongai Leslie Makawa) and Synik (Gerald Mugwenhi) differs considerably from this stereotypical perception of rap and hip-hop. This article argues that the music of these two rappers is transcendental in its depiction and critique of life in contemporary urban Zimbabwe. Concentrating on two albums by these artists, the article examines how the music goes beyond entertainment as it offers a socio-political and cultural critique and self-reflexive space of thinking through diverse issues afflicting modern-day Zimbabwe. In a country where the public sphere is heavily censored by the state, making open and sincere discussions impossible, the music of these two artists proposes an alternative space to think through various matters. The article contends that music has the “illocutionary force” to unsettle ways of thinking, knowing and understanding the diverse and complicated realities we so often experience.","PeriodicalId":42523,"journal":{"name":"Muziki-Journal of Music Research in Africa","volume":"14 1","pages":"103 - 122"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2017-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/18125980.2017.1322470","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41787187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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