Academic literature on the topic 'Music and language – Zimbabwe'

This thesis is an investigation of the significance of Mhande song-dance in two performance contexts: the Mutoro ritual of the Karanga and the Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Competition. In addition, I undertake comparative analysis of the structure of Mhande music in relation to the structure of selected genres of Shona indigenous music. The position of Mhande in the larger context of Shona music is determined through analysis of transcriptions of the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic elements of chizambi mouth bow, karimba mbira, ngororombe panpipes, ngano story songs, game, hunting, war, and love songs. Mhande is an indigenous song-dance performed for the mutoro ceremony, the annual rain ritual of the Karanga. The Mhande repertoire consists of distinctive songs and rhythms used for communicating with the majukwa rain spirits. The rain spirits in turn communicate with God (Mwari) the provider of rain, on behalf of the Karanga. Mhande song-dance is performed exactly the same way in the annual Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Competitions as in the ritual context of the mutoro ceremony. However, in the context of the Competition, it is used for the expression of joy and as a form of cultural identity. The Competition is a forum in which Karanga songdance traditions such as Mhande, compete with other Shona song-dance traditions such as mbakumba, shangara and chinyambera. I contextualize and analyse Mhande song-dance by using the ‘Matonjeni Model’, which in terms of Karanga epistemology, is culture specific. This Model is grounded in description, interpretation and analysis; the primary methods in my research process.

The focus of this study thus was to establish if the training of teachers at a particular teachers’ training college in Zimbabwe is equipping students as future teachers with the required competences to realise the aims and objectives of the Zimbabwe Primary Music Syllabus. This study follows on the above-mentioned initial small-scale investigation conducted in 2002, which revealed that teachers lacked the required competences to implement this particular syllabus effectively (Mufute, 2002:16).

This dissertation is the documentation of an investigation aimed at identifying a model(s) that meets the needs of music educators in Zimbabwe. Although the government of Zimbabwe stipulates that music should be part of the education curriculum in the country, it has become evident that the majority of schools do not comply with this requirement. The failure to teach music effectively in schools has been attributed to a variety of factors. Among them are the non-availability of a clear policy on cultural arts education and the fact that music is not examined at the end of a [earning phase such as Grade 7. However, this dissertation argues that the identified problems can be addressed through a model of professional development in the form of an in-service training programme. In-service training models such as the individually-guided, collaborative problem-solving and action research models were identified. These models were interrogated in an effort to establish which one has the potential to address most effectively the anticipated pedagogical content knowledge for music educators in Zimbabwe. Among several models selected for discussion in this dissertation, the training model has been identified as the most appropriate one. It is comprised of five components, namely; theory, demonstration, practise, feedback and coaching. Competence training for teachers in a skills-based subject like music is believed to be incomplete. However, many educators view the training model as a cycle that rolls towards the attainment of specific goals, hence continuous and reflective interaction promotes effective skill acquisition. Relevant information was gathered through document analysis, interviews and focus group discussions. The findings revealed that the majority of music educators in Zimbabwe have limited knowledge of both music content and pedagogy. In addition, the analysis of the data also revealed that all educators possess a professional qualification of some kind, but there is a lack of specialisation in Music. Apparently, lack of human and physical resources in Zimbabwe has also been indicated as a factor impacting on the delivery of music education in the country. The failure to teach music effectively in schools has been attributed to a variety of factors. Among them are the non-availability of a clear policy on cultural arts education and the fact that music is not examined at the end of a [earning phase such as Grade 7. However, this dissertation argues that the identified problems can be addressed through a model of professional development in the form of an in-service training programme. In-service training models such as the individually-guided, collaborative problem-solving and action research models were identified. These models were interrogated in an effort to establish which one has the potential to address most effectively the anticipated pedagogical content knowledge for music educators in Zimbabwe. Among several models selected for discussion in this dissertation, the training model has been identified as the most appropriate one. It is comprised of five components, namely; theory, demonstration, practise, feedback and coaching. Competence training for teachers in a skills-based subject like music is believed to be incomplete. However, many educators view the training model as a cycle that rolls towards the attainment of specific goals, hence continuous and reflective interaction promotes effective skill acquisition. Relevant information was gathered through document analysis, interviews and focus group discussions. The findings revealed that the majority of music educators in Zimbabwe have limited knowledge of both music content and pedagogy. In addition, the analysis of the data also revealed that all educators possess a professional qualification of some kind, but there is a lack of specialisation in Music. Apparently, lack of human and physical resources in Zimbabwe has also been indicated as a factor impacting on the delivery of music education in the country.<br>Thesis (M.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

This thesis is the documentation of an investigation to explore the applicability and use of indigenous African instruments in the development of primary school music curriculum for Zimbabwe. Although music is regarded as one of the compulsory subjects of the Zimbabwean primary school curriculum, it is noted with concern that western musical arts ideas are prominent in the school syllabus hence, they underline the whole essence of music teaching in the post-independence Zimbabwean education system. This is done at the expense of indigenous African musical arts practices that learners can easily identify with in their respective local communities. The purpose of my study therefore, is to determine critical elements of a curriculum development framework for facilitating the inclusion of indigenous African instrumental performance practices as substantive music resource stuff in the westernised Zimbabwean primary school music curriculum provisions. Zimbabwe has a variety of indigenous African instruments that include mbira, mazambi, magagada, chipendani and chigufe. For the purpose of carrying out this research, three indigenous African instruments are identified as instruments of focus. These are marimba (African xylophone), ngoma (African drum) and hosho (African percussion shakers). Thus, the term indigenous African instruments is consistently used collectively to mean the identified instruments. The study also samples songs from a selected Ndau cultural arts functions such as zvipunha and zvimworoni that could be utilised as education activities for classroom music teaching and learning initiatives in Zimbabwe. The idea of including culture-inclined resource materials for music teaching in the westernised post-independence Zimbabwean primary school music education initiatives implies curriculum change and innovation. Thus, curriculum change in Zimbabwe could be viewed as a reputable way to fulfil complete socio-cultural, educational and political sovereignty towards diluting the impact of colonial repression and neo-colonialism in Zimbabwe. It is notable, however that, colonial repression in Africa has caused and is still causing a permanent dislocation between indigenous black Africans and their cultural arts practices and heritages. My study doesn’t aim to achieve piece-meal changes in the primary school curriculum. Neither does it aim to suggest a complete overhaul of the current westernised primary school music curriculum. With this study, I aim to achieve a reasonable inclusivity and fusion of divergent cultural arts opinions towards musical hybridism in the Zimbabwean musical arts education milieu. This, I believe, shall help to establish an alliance of traditional African and western arts elements to attract both domestic and international appreciation of contemporary musical arts education initiatives in the post-independence Zimbabwean society. Relevant information has been gathered through documentary analysis, interviews, participant observation and focussed discussions. The findings reveal that the majority of primary school teachers and learners need considerable cultural arts rehabilitation because colonial repression had conditioned their perceptions to see no sensible value in indigenous African instrumental performance practices as part of the school education curriculum. The study also reveals that even the training of primary school music educators in Zimbabwe is grossly inadequate. Hence, the majority of these primary school teachers are pedagogically restricted to facilitate the teaching of skills-based subjects like music at any level of the Zimbabwean education system. Therefore, it is sensible to conclude that generalist primary school teachers are unreliable education practitioners who need further education and training in order to acquire relevant competences to teach music effectively in schools. Finally, lack of human and physical resources such as music instruments and textbooks has also been viewed as another impediment factor crippling teacher performance in the teaching of music in the majority of primary schools in Zimbabwe.<br>Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.<br>Humanities Education<br>PhD<br>Unrestricted