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Ranson Madzamba Correspondent

Music is a great way of communicating. It has the power to shape the way a society lives. It has the power to influence for a social cause. Music thus, entertains, educates, informs, heals, unites among many other attributes.

Well, we cannot discuss or debate about the Zimbabwean liberation struggle and independence without mentioning the great input from musicians and their music.

During the Zimbabwean liberation struggle, music became the best and a better comfortable way of speaking back to power. It was indeed through music that the oppressed black majority were encouraged to join hands and fight for liberty, fraternity and equality. Music mobilised people to fight for their freedom.

Music from Zexie Manatsa, Cde Chinx, the ZANLA Choir and many other Cdes, stimulated as well as enticed many black peasants to join the fight against the brutal imperialist government. The song “Maruza imi” from Cde Chinx inspired and gave much hope to the fighting Cdes, the Mujibas and Chibwidos.

Most of the songs were sung in vernacular languages not known by the imperialists. The music managed to inspire, provide bravery as well as the enthusiasm to fight against the autocratic regime.

The fact that musicians like Simon Chimbetu, Cde Chinx, Soul Jah Love and Oliver Mtukudzi have been declared heroes, signify how essential music is in defining a society.

Oliver Mtukudzi was declared a national hero. He was a philanthropist par-excellency who pioneered social constructs through his lyrics covering child abuse and marriages, domestic and gender-based violence, HIV/ AIDS, inheritance laws, the right to education, peace, family, culture, religion, reconciliation and love among other attributes.

Mtukudzi just like the above-mentioned heroes, had a passion and talent to unify people through his booming voice in music. He gave wisdom, hope and direction across all generations. He was a hero and still remains our hero, who fired shots using the strings of a guitar.

The heroic status bestowed on Mtukudzi as the first musician to be declared a national hero, loudly illustrates the role played by music in reconstructing a nation.

Our Zimbabwean culture, on another note, also greatly contributed to the achievement of a sovereign and developing Zimbabwe. Our spiritual leaders and other various artists urged the people to take up arms against Imperialism which spanned almost a century and continues to mutate through current pursuit of unholy international and non-indigenous economic and social interventions.

The spirit mediums, Ambuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi were the architects of the First Chimurenga. After them came equally inspired personalities who inherited the liberation mantle. They made the coloniser realise the influence and power of African Traditional Religion in the political affairs of our country, thus spawning a deep appreciation of African spirituality and its pivotal role in keeping a people inspired and united.

As we commemorate our Heroes and Defence forces Days, let us not forget to preserve those cultural practices that identify us as Zimbabweans, for they contributed to our attainment of Independence and still influence the development of our country.

A nation without a culture indeed struggles to develop.

We salute all comrades who sacrificed their lives for an Independent and free Zimbabwe!

Long live our beloved Zimbabwe!

l Ranson Madzamba is a Pan-Africanist and a Zimbabwean Afro-fusion musician.