ONE of the important days celebrated on the Gregorian Calendar is the International Women’s Day.
The International Women’s Day is commemorated on March 8 annually.
Zimbabwe will join the world in celebrating women’s day by lining up different activities, most important among the celebrations being the two-day International Women’s Day Festival slated for this weekend.
As the country celebrates women’s day, it is critical to celebrate women in music.
Women musicians play an important role in portraying the economic, political and socio-cultural aspects of Zimbabwe’s heritage, therefore must be celebrated.
History of the involvement of women in the local music industry highlights the plight of women on their journey to be appreciated in the society.
To show their input and resilience on the music scene, one must trace the history of different women artistes who made an impact in the cutthroat industry.
The input of women musicians can be traced to pre-colonial times when music was performed on occasions that include motherhood and daily chores.
Though involvement of women in music during the pre-colonial era was not recorded, it expressed a form of art reflecting on the socio-cultural development of different African societies.
The pre-colonial period became a benchmark for the involvement of women in the music industry and it is through the use of music that many cultures were portrayed and celebrated.
In her book, Women Musicians of Zimbabwe 1930s – 2013, Jocye Jenje Makwenda talks of women challenging injustices in society through the art of music.
Makwenda terms it ‘protest music’ in which women sang songs of protest against a social or cultural injustice.
“Women would sing songs praising their marriages. However, if they did not approve of their marriage(s) they would sing song(s) of protest,” writes Makwenda.
Women have made an impact in music by increasing their voices.
In the story of females in local music, renowned musician Dorothy Masuka cannot be left out.
She is one of female musicians who became popular in the 1950s; she was one of the pioneers of township music.
In spite of emerging at a time when the political situation was not stable, Masuka became the epitome of a resilient woman who used music as a tool to reflect the existence of black women living under colonialism and a patriarchal society.
As a result of their strong messages some women musicians were forced to go into exile.
Masuka who was heavily active in township music, a genre which became popular around that time, was exiled to Zambia and township music was forced to go ‘underground’.
Disgruntlement by the black majority forced some musicians to sing about the evils of colonialism.
The Rhodesian Censorship Board (RCB) censored music that talked of hope, of emancipation and the need to fight the colonial system.
Susan Mapfumo produced songs which depicted the plight of women and the political turmoil caused by the colonial regime.
Other popular names of women musicians who made an impact during the colonial era include Faith Dauti who sang with the Milton Brothers and the famous Gay Gaieties, an all-female group of nurses who were the first trainees at Harare Hospital.
However, Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980 saw more women coming on board.
Today the music industry is rich with names of women who are not only popular in the country but around the world.
The industry boasts names that include Stella Chiweshe, the late Beulah Dyoko and Chiwoniso Maraire.
These women did not only spread Zimbabwean music across the globe but showcased the powerful impact of mbira instrument and popularised it across the globe.
Through the use of mbira, these women artistes appreciated and showcased their origins, the richness of their history.
Artistes like the late Elizabeth Taderera, better known as Katarina, excelled in both singing and dancing.
Katarina lit up the music scene, capturing the imagination of the nation.
Sandra Ndebele is a good example of a female musician also good in both dancing and singing.
Different genres that emerged after independence in 1980 saw more women becoming active musicians.
Genres that have been regarded male domains now embrace the contribution of women as they break the perception that ‘only’ men can participate in them.
Sungura is one such genre.
In sungura circles, female musician Patricia Makusha, better known as Tete Pipilo, has earned herself recognition as the ‘Queen of sungura’.
The involvement of Tete Pipilo in sungura is a reflection of women’s resilience and determination to make it as musicians.
Notable female musicians include Ammara Brown, Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave, Pamela Zulu populary known as Gonyeti, Jean Masters, Cindy Munyavi and Hope Masike, among others.