Art and Society
Cultural practitioners hold up a mirror to society. And art is often also directly a means of civil society work: it can transport information and call for action. We are making a small contribution to raising awareness of the work of artists.
Here is a list of artists we have portrayed:
- Thandoe Sibanda (poet)
- Racheal “Voko “Ncube (poet)
- Tamary Kudita (photographer)
- Jeremy David Ambrose Kupfuwa (photographer)
- Hope Masike (singer, dancer, visual artist, poet)
- Ndomupeishe “Ndomzy” Chipendo (dancer, singer)
Music…
… has long been closely linked to politics. Read here some texts on the specific situation in Zimbabwe.
In the May 2023 journal we published a text by F. D. Mhlanga on this very topic. The author sheds light on the Zimbabwean situation and puts the link between music and politics in a historical context. You can find the full text here.
Politically motivated artists
Thomas Mapfumo
The Zimbabwean Thomas Mapfumo was born in 1945. He showed an interest in traditional music from his early childhood. In 1973, he joined his first band, the Hallelujah Chicken Band. After switching from English to dialect, he used his music to spread calls for freedom. This genre is called chimurenga. It became a symbol of efforts against injustice in war-torn Rhodesia. Around 1978, he formed the band Blacks Unlimited. He continuously spoke out against the colonialist regime, even though he faced censorship and repression from the system. His music spread like wildfire. After Zimbabwe’s declaration of independence in 1980, Mapfumo shared the stage with Bob Marley. This led to his international success. His music was no longer dedicated to the struggle for independence, but to corruption and poverty. Even in the new Zimbabwe, he was not spared censorship and more, so that he finally moved to the USA in 2000. He was able to return to Zimbabwe in 2018 after 14 years in exile.
Winky D
Born in 1983, this singer is known for his music in the Zimdancehall genre. He is considered one of the pioneers of this genre. His songs address social injustice and corruption. He refers to a regime that suppresses freedom of opinion and speech. This is also evident on 4 March 2023, when Winky D was taken off stage by the police during a concert. The stop came after the singer performed the song Ibotso from his latest album. The song addresses the decay and injustices of the country. Despite opposition from the government, the singer has managed to bag a number of awards: most recently Best African Dancehall Entertainer 2023 and Best male artist in South Africa 2023.
Hope Masike
Masike’s music may be a colourful mix of styles, but the sounds of the mbira remain a constant. They have also earned the singer-songwriter the title “Princess of the Mbira”. In her music, she combines traditional and modern and often challenges colonial stigmas. She has collaborated with many artists, including Oliver Mtukudzi. We have already portrayed the multi-talented artist in our newsletter.
Oliver Mtukudzi
Mtukudzi, also known as Tuku, like Mapfumo, also accompanied Zimbabwe through the liberation struggles with his music. His music was a mixture of Afro-jazz, pop and funk. It offered the people at least a temporary distraction in difficult times. In 2007, his music was already interpreted more politically than he wanted. He says of himself that he doesn’t understand anything about politics and doesn’t like to talk about the then President Mugabe. With excuses like these and his national popularity, he can evade the interrogations of the secret police. He was particularly committed to Zimbabwe during the HIV epidemic. Mtukudzi died in January 2019 at the age of 66.