HARARE Young female artists hitherto cocooned in fear of political persecution are emerging with hard hitting music sharply criticising bad governance. But there is always a heavy price to pay by the brave artists. Paranoid authorities quickly assume the satirical music is deliberately targeted at the political leadership of President Robert Mugabe and his former ruling Zanu (PF) party.
Sharp-tongued artists, if they are not arrested or intimidated, are not played by the sole state broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), still firmly under the iron-grip of Zanu-(PF).
In electioneering times like this, ahead of the expected general polls next year, all artistic work especially music with powerful political undertones critical of the rulers is automatically banned from the airwaves.
President Mugabes party runs the national broadcaster as its own extension when in fact ZBC is publicly owned.
The coalition government of Mugabe and his erstwhile enemy, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and the smaller MDC-M faction, led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, has not reformed the broadcasting sector and the geriatric ruler, in power for 30 years, must be chuckling to himself.
Should indeed a general election take place next year Zanu (PF) already finds itself with an upper-hand.
In the run-up to the polls the party has always manipulated the ZBC to its advantage airing endlessly nauseating propaganda in the form of partisan music, views and news.
Edith Katiji, a youthful Zimbabwean musician, is a tough-talking artist and one of a kind amongst her generation of female artists whose edifying music is too close to the bone for any notorious leader.
With her all-female cast of young musicians Katiji has just released her debut album Utonga, which means a new dawn. All but one song on the 10-track compact disc is played on ZBC.
The track that has caused consternation is Hutungamiri, which means leadership.
True to satirical artistry Katiji does not name the bad leaders in the music but uses the rich tapestry of metaphor to drive her message home.
I am saying that when we elect people into positions of leadership, it means we want them to move us to a higher level and so we look up to them, Katiji said in an interview.
She said true leaders were accountable to the people.
Leaders must tell us where they are taking us. The failure by leaders to consult with the people means the leaders are not accountable to us and the result is that the people look elsewhere for new leadership. If leaders are negligent the people abandon them. Certainly there are ground rules that leaders must follow and the people must set those rules. If we allow wayward leaders that cant be controlled then the people are hurt.
By blacking out Hutungamiri, said Katiji, ZBC feared the assumption that the song would be viewed targeting President Mugabe.
There is need for more radio stations to offer alternative and wider choices to artists and listeners, more stations for the people to speak out. More stations also mean more royalties for us.
In hard times especially during heightened political conflict and strife, brave artists in Zimbabwe rise with edifying reflections of bad leadership despite the risk.
When the police realise you have done a song that is hitting at someone in a position of power they want to find out who you are and where you are from. Persistence and the guts to stand up and say this is what I want to do is the way for the female artists no matter what anyone is going to say. There are stumbling blocks but the spirit is to stand up and go.
Katiji said of Zimbabwes leadership: Is the political leadership in Zimbabwe responsive to the people? The parties all three of them (Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC-M) are doing what is convenient to them under the circumstances. If people are being consulted we are yet to see if what we want is going to be done. We are not in a position to say what we want is being done or addressed.
The female generation of born-free artists – those born after Zimbabwes 1980 independence from Britain – has clearly steered away from confrontation preferring the less hazardous aesthetics of art.
Except for the likes of the militant Chiwoniso Maraire who decided she would sing about what she wants regardless of the consequences, as long as the word is out there.
But the Zanu (PF) machinery is countering all the stubborn music and has never been short of cheerleaders of all ages.
Now there is unprecedented bombardment on the airwaves with songs and musical videos that portray President Mugabe in a squeaky-clean image.
The MDC-T has recorded music glorifying its own agenda but the ZBC will not play the songs.
Post published in: News