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Think Piece on Mbira Musicians
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The Daily Mirror Online, Think Piece on Mbira Musicians >>
Celebrating Mbira Divas
by Laura Chiweshe
2006-Apr-28
For a long time, women have found themselves at the periphery of what is fundamentally relevant to their daily survival.
Given the fact that Shona society is essentially patriarchal, it is
not surprising that women have not been warmly welcomed into the
realm of mbira playing. Mbira is arguably the truest instrument that
identifies with the whole being of the Shona people, although not
many realise this.
However, African women being who they are, and Shona women being nodifferent, they since learnt how to go around male dominance,
survive, assert themselves and triumph. Hence even in the most
sacred realm of Shona spirituality, cultural expression and
assertion, women have defied all odds to comfortably occupy places
and positions that many people today, erroneously believe have always been primarily reserved for their male counterparts.
Today, more and more women have taken centre stage in decoding,
interpreting and ultimately playing mbira while the rest of the
society nods in appreciation. Although the number of women mbira
players is yet to equal that of their male counterparts, notable
inroads have been made in accommodating women mbira players in society.
Leading in this crusade has been the Queen of Mbira Mbuya Stella
Chiweshe, Beaulah Dyoko, Stella Chinese, Irene Chigamba, Taruona
Mushore and mbira princess Chiwoniso Maraire, among others.
The mbira instrument embodies many vital aspects of Shona religion
and culture and it also plays a central role in the Mbira, an age-old
Shona religious ceremony that brings the Shona into contact with
their spiritual ancestors, who viewed as vital intercessors with God,
known as Mwari or Musikavanhu. But it has always had secular functions, too.
The presence of women, when they were pregnant, or soon after giving birth, or when they are having their monthly cycles was frowned upon when possession took place during such ceremonies. But, like many things to do with a past generally forgotten due to colonial and
Christian influences, the role of women and mbira stands clouded
assumptions masquerading as facts and is usually misunderstood
Sekuru David Gweshe, a cultural warrior and spiritualist denies that
women were not allowed to play the mbira.
"In our Nohoreka dynasty, women actually hold positions of seniority.
Tinogadza vakadzi ushe. The Nohoreka chiefdom at the moment belongs to a woman, Chief Negomo is simply acting in her place.
"As such we had and still have no restrictions regarding what
instruments women can play including the most sacred of them all, the
mbira. It depends with the area really, because in our area, women
especially chembere (old women) could just seize the instrument
during a ceremony from anybody they felt was not playing the
instrument well and play it themselves," Sekuru Gweshe said.
Joyce Jenje-Makwenda a music critic and researcher concurred, saying Shona traditional society did not totally exclude women from playing mbira though they were instances where women would just be allowed to play .
"Traditionally the Shona culture did not exclude women from playing
the mbira, except during sacred ceremonies and then only when women were menstruating, when they are considered to be unclean, or the first three months of breastfeeding, when they are supposed to be
inside the house taking care of the new baby," Jenje-Makwenda said.
The "uncleaniliness" aspect stemmed from the fact the women will be
considered unfree to go about her duties normally and hence would be
excused from all major duties.
Stella Chiweshe remains one of the most celebrated women mbira
players and her popular song Chave Chimurenga revolutionalised mbira music in post-independence Zimbabwe. Chiweshe, the first woman to lead a band in Zimbabwe, brought contemporary popular style to adapt to the secular and urbanised nature of contemporary entertainment by introducing steel drums, electric guitar and bass and, most notably, the marimba. And these instruments actually augment and enrich the music.
Beaulah Dyoko became the first woman to record a mbira song in the
1960s. Her entry into the mbira world is dramatic in that she fell
sick and when the family consulted a traditional healer they were
told she should play mbira. Unfortunately, a combination of half-
baked traditional notions intermingling with colonial patriarchal
values entrenched by puritanical Christian missionary zealots, the
roles of women and their social space had diminished, and it was a
struggle for Dyoko to fulfil her calling. However, her mother brought
her the instrument. Lo and behold, she was healed.
Chiwoniso Maraire represents the younger generation of women mbira
players. What she plays is what critics have termed contemporary
mbira music. She has added her own flavour to the music, adding
English lyrics and church songs. What is interesting, and
ironic, about church songs on mbira is that during the colonial era,
the playing mbira or let alone transposing the instrument was banned.
The instrument was considered to be diabolic, satanic and
unchristian. People could actually be jailed for just holding mbira.
But, today, a young mbira princess dares to sing church songs and
English lyrics on mbira!
As we move towards the commercialisation and secularisation of mbiramusic, the hope is that women are not left behind. Mbira, which forms the basis and centrality of Shona life, albeit forgotten and
neglected, should take along with it, the gallant gifted women of
song and vision, for they too are part of the backbone of Zimbabwean society.
05/05/06 >> go there
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