The Music of Zimbabwe

Before Independence: Tradition and Protest

• Traditional Music in Zimbabwe
• The Effect of Colonization on Music in Zimbabwe
• The Beginnings of Zimbabwean Protest Music
• Chimurenga Music in Zimbabwe
• Rhetorical Strategies in Thomas Mapfumo's Protest Music -- "We" versus "Them"
• Rhetorical Strategies in Thomas Mapfumo's Protest Music -- "Cataloguing
• The Rhetorical Question in Zimbabwean Protest Music (coming soon)
• Proverbs in Zimbabwean Protest Music (coming soon)
• Dress and Dreadlocks as Political Statements
• Thomas Mapfumo's Kuyaura -- Suffering (1974)
• Thomas Mapfumo's Pfumvu Paruzevha -- Trouble in the Reserves (1977)

The Music of Zimbabwe

• "Tirikupemberera Zimbabwea": Celebration after Protest (coming soon)
• Post-Independence Themes in Popular Music (coming soon)
• The Idea of One People, Government Policy, and Mapfumo's Music
• Criticizing the Government -- Indirectly
• Thomas Mapfumo's Chimurenga '98 -- New Music
• Spirit Talk Mbira (a group of mbira musicians from several countries led by Chartwell Dutiro; UK site)
• The Mbira Page -- provides information on the Mbira, Marimba, and Chimurenga styles of music
• Dandemutande: A Resource for Zimbabwean Music -- resource guide for various types of Zimbabwean music; includes online magazines and calendar of events
• Zimbabwe Frontline Jukebox -- Listen to MP3 clips of Zimbabwean music from this resource based at the University of Cape Town

Miscellaneous

• John Kunaka, Mbira Maker
• Music and Postcolonial African Government

Materials needed. Please send your suggestions, URLs, essays, and other materials to

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Last Modified: 3 December 2004