The Sunday News
THE struggle for the liberation of Zimbabwe from the shackles of colonialism was waged on different fronts. Some fought physically, others did so verbally while others provided the means to fight.
Although there is no harm whatsoever in other people claiming that their contribution was more important than others, the bottom line is that whoever was there did their part in removing the yoke of colonialism that was weighing down the black majority.
The month of April is in other countries remembered for the Fools Day pranks but in Zimbabwe it does not start and end there. It has a more important political, economic and social meaning. It marks the country’s independence from the repressive white regime that sought perpetual exploitation of mineral resources and subjugation of the people of this great country. As the country reflects on the journey it has travelled it is important to point out that the true heroes are not only those who lie at the Heroes Acre in Harare as many may be misled into believing.
There are others who were not directly in the battle front whose contribution has somehow found no expression in the political discourse. It has been belittled and yet no contribution was too small in liberating the country.
Musicians for example were part of the cornerstones of the revolution. They sang, they inspired, they encouraged and they taught the values of the liberation as given by the leaders. They therefore expressed not only their thoughts but those of the fighters and the leaders — conveying the message and the principles from the principals to the masses. Music was therefore an important component of the liberation struggle and its contribution can never be overemphasised.
Most of the pre-independence black musicians composed songs with a deep lyrical meaning, while some were laced with deep Shona or isiNdebele idioms as they did this at great risk of being arrested by the repressive white regime that was all too eager to muzzle anything they deemed critical of their rule.
Yes, some of the black musicians took it upon themselves to sing about the war, about blacks as sons of the soil and being rightful heirs to their God given heritage. They chose to sacrifice the commercial side of music at the altar of political expediency and that fact alone deserves some recognition.
They chose to be purveyors of political information in a tense environment that was characterised by arbitrary arrests, beatings and imprisonment. Great musicians such as the late Solomon Skuza, Dorothy Masuka, the late Ketai Muchawaya, the late Safirio Madzikatire and Thomas Mapfumo come to mind when one talks of the pre-independence music heroes.
There was also Kasongo band, the original LMG choir, Impi Yesiko, Zipra Choir and many other choral groups that braved arrest and did what they knew best to inspire the comrades.
Music therefore played an important part as it pushed the values of the liberation struggle and as a morale booster. It was the energiser. Most of the musicians could, however, not hold shows and their music was disallowed on the white controlled radio. As a result they became confined to beer gardens where they would deliver the political message, pushing the revolution forward sometimes in a very subtle way.
Chase Skuza, younger brother to Solomon, said his brother was one of the musicians from the region who penned songs with strong revolutionary lyrics. He said much of the songs were composed before independence although he continued reminding people of where and how the country came by in the years after independence.
Songs like Kambe yibolaba, Salibonani maZimbabwe, Ndangariro, MaKhumalo were some of the hits that come to mind when one talks of Solomon Skuza.
Chase said the songs were partly inspired by the war experiences adding that his brother Solomon got his military training in the then USSR, now Russia, and Libya before he came back to Zambia. Musician and Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) chairperson Albert Nyathi said there were a lot of musicians who contributed but Solomon Skuza, Marko Sibanda and Cde Chinx were part of the outstanding ones.
“The gun alone was not enough, for it does not speak. Music therefore played an important part. It made people understand what they were fighting for and why they were fighting. It added to the amount of information that was already available.
“We have people like Dorothy Masuka, Miriam Makeba, Gift Nare, the late Marko Sibanda, Abel Sithole, Joseph Masonda of the Eye of Liberty and many others who were part of the revolution through music,” said Nyathi.
He added that while others were in the camps like Solomon Skuza and Marko Sibanda, the contribution of those who were singing while in the country was equally important.
Nyathi, however, could not be drawn into commenting on whether the country was doing anything to recognise these musicians.
Sotsha Moyo, one of the pioneers of Black Umfolosi said although the group was formed after independence he and others had long been doing choral music in Zambia while at the Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo camp commonly known as the JZ waiting camp.
“We had gone there with the intention of joining others in training but we were told we were too young and we were kept at JZ camp where we joined various choral groups and sang. We were entertaining the comrades and passing on the message to people on the values of the liberation struggle. We also inspired others to join the liberation struggle.
“We had LMG choir that was fronted by Gift Nare who was teaching in Zambia. He was a great lyricist who used to compose well thought-out songs. He is now staying at home in Gwanda I think but he is old now. I remember the song Happy New Year that was sung by LMG around 1977-78 which was one of their great compositions that speaks of the values of the war of liberation,” said Moyo.
He, however, lamented the lack of recognition of the music greats whose contribution to the liberation struggle spurred the revolution.
Musicians, he said, were an important part of the struggle although their efforts were never recognised.
Moyo said he was happy when Cde Chinx was finally rewarded for his unwavering stance in revolutionary songs. He added that it was crucial that people like Solomon Skuza, Ketai Muchawaya, Marko Sibanda, Thomas Mapfumo and Nare of LMG get the recognition they deserve as they stood for the values of the liberation struggle when times were hard. He said they did what they did at great personal risk and they deserved a place in the history of the country.
It remains to be seen whether the contribution of the artistes in the liberation struggle is going to be recognised or they will remain unsung heroes.
