The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
“I CAN run out of superlatives to describe the role played by music in the liberation struggle. It carried us through. The comrades who were lagging behind and getting weary would be carried to the front and we would fight as a team, as we sang our way to victory.”
In a hearty interview, the liberation war musician, Dickson “Chinx” Chingaira, said music motivated the mass of Zimbabwe to soldier on and fight the enemies and would always give them the strength and reason to go on.
Some of Cde Chinx’s liberation war music compositions include Maruza imi, Sendekera mukoma, Chimurenga chakarwiwa ne Zanu-PF and Shungu dzedu.
“To us black people, music was a great motivator. It played a pivotal role that can be difficult to explain. It motivated us to go on in the wake of difficult and painful conditions. It carried us through.
“In those moments when we would grow weary, we would find ourselves singing in groups and we would get some courage and verve to go on.
“It would sooth our hearts especially when the enemy killed and destroyed our loved ones. Zvaitinyaradza nekutipa rimwe simba rekuti tirwise muvengi. Music would put us to a higher level of gallantry and motivate us and boost our morale to fight,” said Cde Chinx.
He said composed songs would be assessed first before they were released to the public.
“A person would compose his song and it would be assessed before the song was sung in public.
“It would take the whole weekend to scrutinise a song and make sure that it was not pro-British or against the revolution. Singing in numbers would make us stronger, more united and emerge with more strength,” added Cde Chinx, who turns 63 on September 27.
Chimurenga music guru Thomas Mapfumo’s songs also played an important role during the struggle.
With a group called Acid Band, the revolutionary songs wordsmith composed hits such as Gwindingwi rine shumba and Hokoyo with lyrics that contained a deep meaning challenging the colonial rule.
His lyrics were understood to be radical and this did not go down well with the colonial government. It strengthened, motivated and reinvigorated the black majority to rise against colonial rule with verve and passion.
The song Hokoyo meaning “Watch Out” was banned from the state-controlled radio and in 1979, Mapfumo was subsequently sent to prison, but was later released.
The late Safirio Madzikatire’s son, Elijah Madzikatire, had his hit song “Karate” among a rich discography in the 70s that contributed immensely to the attainment of Independence.
Although karate is a Japanese martial art whose physical aspects seek the development of defensive and counterattacking body movements, Madzikatire literally meant the colonialists could be destroyed using effective means of defence and urged people to defend themselves in the event of an attacking enemy.
He also sought divine intervention and pleaded with God to fight for the black majority on his first single titled Ishe in 1978. The single was followed by Pasi hariguti and Vana vevanhu.
One of the eldest musicians in Zimbabwe, Hosiah Chipanga, who released several singles in the late seventies, said music was as important as salt is to every meal.
“It would encourage, motivate and give us a reason to go forward. Music was like an oral newspaper where we would express our grievances, pains, wishes and hopes against white colonial rule. I remember some of my singles were banned because they were considered radical,” he said.
