Female Musicians and the Preservation of Cultural Practices Through Vernacular Songs in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Historically, the role played by female musicians in popular music in general, and in cultural development and preservation in particular, remains underrepresented despite their significant contributions. This paper focuses on the contributions that are being made by female musicians in the preservation and promotion of cultural practices. These practices include norms, values, language and artefacts. Considering the fact that music is a subset of culture, this paper examines the preservation and promotion of African indigenous culture, focusing on three Zimbabwean female musicians and drawing examples from five of their purposively sampled songs. IsiNdebele and Shona songs are analysed to examine their influence in the transmission, preservation and promotion of cultural elements. Using De Korne’s (2021) categorisation of language activism strategies, we analyse how songs by three selected female musicians work towards the development and preservation of cultural practices. Primary data is gathered through lyrical content analysis of five of their purposively selected songs to deduce meaning and extract the messages conveyed in the songs. Secondary data collection employs desktop research by consulting academic publications on the preservation and promotion of cultural practices. The paper concludes that vernacular songs play a significant role in influencing the preservation and promotion of norms, beliefs, values, language and material culture.