Chimurenga music
| Chimurenga | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1970s, Shona people |
| Typical instruments |
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Chimurenga music is a Zimbabwean popular music genre coined and popularized by Thomas Mapfumo. Chimurenga is a Shona-language word for liberation, which entered common use during the Rhodesian Bush War (1964–1979). Mapfumo developed a style of music based on traditional Shona mbira music but played using modern electric instrumentation, with lyrics characterized by social and political commentary.
Origin
The name "Chimurange music" is derived from the Shona-language word chimurenga, meaning "liberation", which was commonly used during the 1964–1979 Rhodesian Bush War.[1][2] The genre was created by the musician and political dissident Thomas Mapfumo.[3]
Style
An instrument commonly used in chimurenga music is the mbira, a type of "thumb piano" with a wooden body and metal tines that are plucked to produce a sound. Contemporary chimurenga incorporates electric instruments such as bass and electric guitars. It includes percussive elements like hosho shakers and various drums. The music typically builds melodies on top of folk tunes, with a danceable, fast-paced beat. The vocals tend to be emotional and can involve a call-and-response element.[4]
References
- ^ "What Is Chimurenga?". zambuko.com. 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ Vambe, Maurice Taonezvi (November 2011). "Rethinking the notion of chimurenga in the context of political change in Zimbabwe". Muziki. 8 (2): 1–28. doi:10.1080/18125980.2011.631290. ISSN 1812-5980.
- ^ Mauwa, Caleb (2022), Salawu, Abiodun; Fadipe, Israel A. (eds.), "Indigenous and Modern Zimbabwean Music: Reflections from Thomas Mapfumo's Chimurenga Music Genre", Indigenous African Popular Music, Volume 1: Prophets and Philosophers, Pop Music, Culture and Identity, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 25–40, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-97884-6_2, ISBN 978-3-030-97884-6, retrieved 7 March 2026
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Mukwara, Peace; Chikonzo, Kelvin (2 October 2023). "The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) music videos and the mutation of the Chimurenga genre in Zimbabwe". African Identities. 21 (4): 880–896. doi:10.1080/14725843.2021.1990011. ISSN 1472-5843.