EDITOR – PLEASE would you publish this abridged version of my poem titled ‘My Music, My Heritage’.
It is a celebration of the recent collaboration between the Zimbabwe Heritage Trust (ZHT) and the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA) on looking at national consciousness and the role of music in nation building.

My Music, My heritage

MY music is my heritage,
My ancestors handed it down to me
So, music, I inherited, music is heritage.
I live music, I breathe music,
I eat music, of course I get drunk on music.
Yes, you are right, I dream music.
My music is my identity,
My music is my passion,
My music is my expression
Indeed my music is my emotion.
My music is a property like any other,
My music deserves protection,
In the world full of PPs protector plus,
Yes my music deserves Public Protection,
Well done ZIMURA for protecting my music,
Well done ZIMURA for paying royalties,
Well done ZIMURA for the decent burial of my predecessors,
Well done ZIMURA for building our nation,
Well done, Well done, Well done!
Deep in my sleep, a voice speaks,
Sing about your country,
Sing about your people,
Sing about the past,
Sing about now,
And sing about the future.
Sing about love,
Sing about hate,
Sing about ills of hate,
Sing about the beauty of love,
Sing about good, sing about bad,
Sing about marriage,
Sing about divorce,
Ohhh what about happiness and sadness,
I say, sing, sing and sing.
Yes my music, I inherit from the voice,
The voice of my ancestors,
The voice of the supreme spirit.
So, music is heritage.

My music is an expression of emotions,
My music is an expression of ideas,
My music is an expression of character,
My music is a mirror of my society,
My music is an expression of a culture,
My music is an expression of celebration,
My music is an expression of heritage, indeed my music is an expression of the heart.
Sure, my music is an inheritance,
When I came to mother earth, music was there,
So music I inherited.
I sing nothing new under the sun,
But I sing creatively original,
When I sing my music, I see people cry,
When I sing, people are set free,
When I sing, people unite,
When I sing, people get lost in deep thought.

I trust in the trust of Zimbabwe Heritage Trust,
Recognising the value and role of music in nation building, Indeed, we are grateful,
This is the beginning of an end,
The beginning of a new era,
A sunrise, a new chapter, a new page.
I believe, the coming together of ZIMURA
and ZHT, is for an unadulterated purpose.
Out of this marriage, I believe,
Our nation will be conscious,
Concious of the contribution of music to nation building.
Yes, I am a believer, aren’t you?,
I trust and believe because trust is confidence,
Confidence is faith,
Faith is belief,
Belief is assurance,
And assurance is conviction,
No doubt I trust and believe,
I believe in the partnership of ZIMURA and ZHT.

By Henry Makombe