ONE of the country’s leading music researchers and writers, Joyce Jenje-Makwenda was last week honoured by female musicians in the country for playing a significant role in promoting women participation in the music industry through her new documentary book, Women Musicians of Zimbabwe.
The event was organised by Book Café as part of its celebrations to mark World Women’s Day.
In an interview with The Patriot, Jenje-Makwenda said she wrote her book after realising the low representation of women in the music industry.
“What struck me most during my youth days, and a trend which has continued today, is that in Zimbabwe very few women take music as a career, unlike men,” Jenje-Makwenda said.
“If they do, they are either employed as backing vocalists for male musicians, or dancers.
“The book is therefore, a celebration of women’s struggle for voice and artistic expression in very challenging circumstances.
“It is a tale of resilience determination and triumph.”
Jenje-Makwenda said her book revealed that most women in Zimbabwe were failing to realise their full potential in the music profession due to stereotyping from the society.
“I interviewed more than 100 women including the young and old, new and seasoned musicians, and corroborated the interviews with oral history and archival materials, which included newspapers and books,” she said.
“All the evidence I uncovered highlighted the negative influence of patriarchal Zimbabwe cultures on women and music.”
“I felt the need to explore the role played by women in the development of music genres in Zimbabwe and to explore why there are very few women musicians in Zimbabwe compared to men.”
In her book, Jenje-Makwenda profiles various female artistes who have contributed to the development of the music industry in the country that included Lina Mataka, Susan Mapfumo, Stella Chiweshe, the late Chiwoniso Maraire, Dudu Manhenga, Selmor Mtukudzi and Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana among others.
Jenje-Makwenda said it was important for family members, especially men to support women pursuing music as a career.
“In many patriarchal societies women are supposed to confine themselves to the domestic sphere and access of women to public persona and space is very limited,” she said.
However, Jenje-Makwenda hailed the Government for its efforts to promote the development of female musicians in the country through the 75 percent local content policy.
She paid tribute to men who have contributed to the growth of women musicians in the country.
“My father played a pivotal role in my life because he supported my passion for music from the onset,” she said.
“It is also important that I thank other men like Dr Gibson Mandishona, Simangaliso Tutani, Louis Mhlanga, and Comfort Mbofana among others who have encouraged women to pursue their music careers.
“Professor Jonathan Moyo is also one of the males who have contributed a lot to the growth of female musicians in the country by introducing the 75 percent local content policy.
“The policy has managed to give exposure to a lot of musicians in the country including women through increased air play space.
Jenje-Makwenda’s book, Women Musicians of Zimbabwe is expected to be launched in August this year during the Women’s Month celebrations.
The veteran music writer is a member of the newly appointed Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation board expected to spearhead restructuring and turnaround of the company after the one led by Cuthbert Dube was dissolved in February.
Born in 1958, in Mbare, Jenje-Makwenda has managed to scoop many awards in her career that include, ‘Best Television Producer of the Year’ in 1993, ‘Second best Television Producer’ in 1994, ‘Freelance Woman Journalist of the Year’ in 1999 and the ‘Population Development and Gender Writer of the Year’ in 2002, among others.