That guitarist — the tune’s composer, Laurie Morvan — and her namesake band, seemed to be making a statement (or voicing a lament) posed by numerous female musicians for decades previous.
Is, or was there, a literal dearth of female guitarists in contemporary music?
If so, is it the result of discrimination, simple choice or other issues? This blues band discusses the significance of this concern, and introduces several female guitarists who are actively advocating for change.
Discrimination, whether intentional, institutional or otherwise, has played a significant role among musicians for centuries, especially with regard to the upper echelons of music business management and instrument playing.
Although, according to Zimstats, there are more women in Zimbabwe than men, in the field of music, less that 5 percent of musicians are women let alone instrument players. In recent years, there has been, however, a significant number of female mbira players. Women tend to shy away from being musicians for a variety of reasons, chief among them societal prejudices.
With society’s prejudicial stereotypes about male musicians who try to make a career in music, what are the social pressures brought to bear when women play musical instruments such as the guitar, piano or drums in a band?
Gender stereotypes have also been examined among children, and numerous studies have been conducted regarding the “sex stereotyping” or “gendering” of musical instruments and musical instrument choice —which seems to bear out that there are, indeed, social pressures to engage in certain gender-appropriate musical activities.
Joan Armatrading, who was born in Birmingham, UK, by West Indian parents in 1950 is a female guitarist. Her father had played in a band in his youth. The father was known for later forbidding his children especially the girls from touching his guitar. Joan would furtively sneak in during her father’s absence from home to learn to play his guitar.
The father insisted that his guitar should not be touched and he locked it away. However Joan’s mother was supportive. She did not mind her children growing into music.
At about the age of 14, Armatrading began writing songs by setting her own limericks to music on a piano that her mother had purchased as “a piece of furniture”.
Shortly thereafter her mother bought her a £3 second-hand guitar from a pawn shop in exchange for two prams which she no longer required, and the younger Armatrading began teaching herself the instrument.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Tracy Chapman, who was born on March 30, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio had a poor mother who recognised Tracy’s love of music and, despite not having much money, bought her a musical instrument called ukulele when she was just three. With this familiarity of the instrument, Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of eight.
Chapman was raised Baptist and went to an Episcopal high school. She was accepted into the programme “A Better Chance”, which helps minority students attend private schools. She graduated from Wooster School in Connecticut, then attended Tufts University. She graduated with a BA degree in Anthropology and African Studies.
During college, Chapman began busking in Harvard Square and playing guitar in clubs. Another Tufts student, Brian Koppelman, heard Chapman playing and brought her to the attention of his father, who ran SBK Publishing. His father, Charles Koppelman was impressed by this guitar playing female and signed Chapman .
The stereotyping of female guitarists did not happen in Western countries only. Similarities in Armatrading and Chapman’s stories are also experienced in Africa.
In Zimbabwe, the recent appearance of female guitarists such as bass guitarist Edith We Utonga, Kudzai Sevenzo, Patricia Matongo and Tariro Ruzvidzo is a new phenomenon and should also cause excitement in our society.
The discrimination against female musicians, let alone guitarists experienced by the likes of Tracy Chapman and Joan Armatrading also affects their Zimbabwean counterparts.
Tariro neGitare, unlike Joan Armatrading, was lucky not to have a father who did not want to see her touch a musical instrument. As Tariro puts it: “My family is very supportive of my musical career.”
Tariro neGitare (real name Tariro Chaniwa-Ruzvidzo) was born at Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital in Harare on the September 16, 1985. She attended primary school at Blakiston and moved to secondary school at St John’s in Emerald Hill. Afterwards she went to the Institute of Personnel Management to undertake a management diploma before going to the Women’s University in Africa where she completed a degree in sociology.
Tariro started to play the guitar aged 13. She took an interest after watching her brother who was playing in church every Sunday. As she grew more confident, she decided to visit the Book Cafe in Harare which had a feature known as Sistaz Open Mic. There she met Dudu Manhenga and a jam session with Edith we-Utonga who was keen to support another female guitarist ensued. She soon joined the band “So What?”.
After a stint with “So What?” Tariro joined Diana Samkange where everybody was astonished by her guitar playing.
On being asked how she came up with the name Tariro neGitare, this is what she had to say: “I knew that my fans were fascinated by a woman who plays the guitar and I thought that if I called myself ‘Tariro ne- Gitare’ it will be easier for them to remember me as that woman who plays the guitar.”
She now has her own band which comprises her sister, Rufaro Chaniwa, on backing vocals, Mangoma Moyo on percussion, Marshall on bass, Kuda on lead guitar and Tanatswa on drums.
Tariro is currently riding high on her 10-track album with songs such as “Uripi”, “Unofona Back” and “Ndisiye Ndakadaro” lamenting her love life while “Wild Fire”, “D-Sharp” and “African Girl” are commentaries about social issues; and “Ishe Anesu” bring her gospel touch to life.
It is a good and entertaining album. All songs on the album were written by Tariro and I am surprised that our radio stations are not playing this music as frequently as they should because it deserves to be played without much campaigning. The problem with Tariro neGitare is that she was born with a point to prove – “if a man can do it, I can do it too”.
Her album matches or exceeds most people’s tempered expectations for it. It has a variety of songs which are pleasant to the ear and Tariro has successfully delivered something top-heavy with sweet, slight acoustic whimsy.
Much will be read into the lyrics to “Ndisiye Ndakadaro’” Tariro’s passive-aggressive olive branch to you-know-who, which oscillates between gentle mockery, accusatory finger-pointing and grudging placation, where the music is exciting and to the point.
Tariro, who is/was married to Mr Ruzvidzo, is reluctant to discuss her personal life in interviews. In a recent interview, she quipped:
“People who like my music have a legitimate interest in me, but I need to retain some privacy, not to be telling people what’s going on, or what I feel. When you go home, the reason it’s beautiful is because it’s personal to you and the people you want to include in it.” We respect that!
On being asked who inspires her music, this is what she had to say: “ Locally, Oliver Mtukudzi is my best inspiration and abroad, it has to be Tracy Chapman. When I was young, I used to hate my deep singing voice, but when I heard Joan Armatrading, I thought, wow this is good for me. It helped me to become more confident in my own voice. Now I love my voice more than ever.”
As more and more people in the Zimbabwean society begin to accept female musicians, especially those who play musical instruments, it is a matter of time before Tariro neGitare grows into a big music star. Watch this space!
l Email: f_zindi@hotmail.com