MUSICKING AT HOME ON THE WOOD THAT SINGS: CONTEMPORARY MARIMBA PERFORMANCE PRACTICES IN ZIMBABWE by WONDER MAGURAUSHE Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY in the subject MUSICOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA Supervisor: Professor Marc Duby JUNE 2017 Declaration I declare that MUSICKING AT HOME ON THE WOOD THAT SINGS: CONTEMPORARY MARIMBA PERFORMANCE PRACTICE IN ZIMBABWE is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. Initials and Surname: W. Maguraushe Student number: 55544681 Date: June 2017 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Marc Duby for his visionary guidance and dedication, which kept me on radar throughout the compilation of this thesis. May the Lord bless you abundantly. To my family, thank you so much for enduring long periods without me as I travelled to attend to the demands of this research. Your support makes you my most prized companions. For making this study possible, I would like to acknowledge all my research participants; marimba performers, marimba makers, marimba music fans, and festival organisers. Your commitment to Zimbabwe marimba music performance practice has a reserved place in my heart. To Richard and Isaac, I say bravo! I am personally indebted to members of Rimba Resonance Vibes Ensemble for being such a wonderful band to work with. All of you are destined for dizzy heights in the world of marimba music performance; just keep on scaling! iii ABSTRACT This thesis explores the current state of marimba music performance practice in Zimbabwe. I begin by presenting a historical perspective of the marimba, and then discuss how the Zimbabwe marimba tradition came into being at Kwanongoma College of African Music in Bulawayo. The study continues to unveil how the relatively new marimba tradition has grown to popularity in its 55-year history in the country, with the phenomenal emergence of professional Zimbabwe marimba musicians. The thesis includes analyses of marimba musicians’ lived experiences, traditional and contemporary marimba music compositions, marimba music education programs and mentors, as well as the Zimbabwe marimba construction industry. Using ethnographic methods, the analysis in this qualitative study draws on an application of Christopher Small, Richard Schechner, and Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical perspectives, amongst others. Results show that marimba music performance practice in Zimbabwe has been kept alive in various permutations, albeit in a harsh economic environment. Education, passion for marimba music, cultural tourism, and festivities are the main avenues where Zimbabwe marimba music performance practice has survived on the margins of Zimbabwe’s popular musical cultural traditions. LIST OF KEY TERMS: marimba music compositions, marimba construction, marimba music education, musicking, marimba performance practice, Zimbabwe marimba. iv ISIFINYEZO Le thesis ihlola isimo samanje somculo wemarimba kanye nokuqhutshwa kwawo eZimbabwe. Ngiqala ngokwethula imibono yezomlando ngemarimba, ebese ngixoxa ngokuthi ngabe usiko lwenkambiso yemarimba eZimbabwe lwaqhamuka kanjani eKwanongoma College of African Music eBulawayo. Ucwaningo luqhubeka luveze ukuthi umculo wemarimba omusha usheshe kangakanani ukukhula nokuba nedumela kumlando weminyaka engu 55 ezweni, kanti futhi nokwenza ukuthi abaculi bemarimba eZimbambwe basebenze ngesiprofeshini. Le thesis ibandakanya ukuhlaziya izipiliyoni zabaculi bemarimba, usiko kanye nokuqanjwa komculo wemarimba, izinhlelo zemfundo yomculo wemarimba kanye nabaqeqeshi abafundisa abasha emculweni, kanye nokwakhiwa kwemboni yomculo wemarimba eZimbabwe. Ukusebenzisa izindlela zesayense yokuchaza abantu eyaziwa ngokuthi yi-ethnography, uhlaziyo kulolu cwaningo olubheka kanzulu, lufunde nokuchaphuna kwimibono yochwepheshe yethiyori yabantu abafana no-Christopher Small, uRichard Schechner kanye no-Pierre Bourdieu phakathi kwabanye. Imiphumela ikhombisa ukuthi ukwenziwa komculo wemarimba eZimbabwe wenziwe ukuthi uqhubeke ngokusebenzisa inqubo yokuhlela izinto ngokuhambelana noma inqubo ye-permutations, kodwa ngaphansi kwesimo esinzima kwezomnotho. Imfundo, ugqozi lomculo wemarimba, inqubo yezovakasho lokufunda ngamasiko kanye nemicimbi ngenye yezindlela lapho khona umculo wemarimba eZimbabwe oboniswa khona nokwaze ukuqhubeka ngayo, nangendlela esetshenzisiwe ukwenza ukuthi umculo uqhubeke nokuba nedumela ngisho nangaphansi kwesimo esinzima eZimbabwe. UHLA LWAMATHEMU ABALULEKILE marimba music compositions, marimba construction, marimba music education, musicking, marimba performance practice, Zimbabwe marimba. v Contents Declaration ii Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv List of figures xi List of plates xii List of acronyms and abbreviations xiiii CHAPTER 1 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY AND RESEARCH PROCEDURES 1.8.1. Research design 18 1.8.2. Methodology 21 1.8.3. Population and sample 22 1.8.4. Ethical considerations 26 1.9.1. The concept of performance events 27 1.9.2. Zimbabwean music performance events 30 CHAPTER 2 THE MAKING OF THE MARIMBA TRADITION IN ZIMBABWE vi CHAPTER 3 MARIMBA ENSEMBLES IN CONTEMPORARY ZIMBABWE 3.2.1. Blackspear 66 3.2.2. Dzorira Mbira and Marimba Band 67 3.2.3. Guruve Marimba Arts Ensemble 67 3.2.4. Hloseni Arts and Culture Marimba Ensemble 68 3.2.5. Kutinya Marimba Band 69 3.2.6. Pamuzinda 71 3.2.7. Rainbow Blaze Marimba Band 72 3.2.8. Sailors Crew Marimba 73 3.2.9. Sinsika Marimba Band 73 3.2.10. Tambarimba Arts Marimba Ensemble 74 3.2.11. The Big Five Marimba Band 76 3.2.12. Yotinhira Arts Marimba Ensemble 77 3.3.1. Mkoba Teachers College Marimba Ensemble 78 3.3.2. Rimba Resonance Vibes Ensemble 78 3.3.3. Timbila Vibes Ensemble 81 3.3.4. The Zimbabwe Republic Police Marimba Band 82 3.4.1. Children’s Performing Arts Workshop (CHIPAWO) 83 3.4.2. Tariro/Hope Marimba and Dance Ensemble 84 3.5.1. Blessing Bled Chimanga 86 vii 3.5.2. Charles Chipanga 88 3.5.3. Jah Prayzah 91 3.5.4. Oliver Mtukudzi 92 CHAPTER 4 ZIMBABWE MARIMBA MUSIC COMPOSITIONS & ARRANGEMENTS 4.2.1. “Chamutengure” 100 4.2.2. “Taireva” 100 4.2.3. “Nhemamusasa” 101 4.2.4. “VaMudhara” 102 4.2.5. “Manhanga Kutapira” 106 4.2.6. “Chigwaya” 109 4.3.1. Sungura music arrangements 111 4.3.2. Marabi Music Compositions 120 CHAPTER 5 MARIMBA PROGAMMES, MENTORS, AND PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES 5.2.1. Marimba music performance programmes in academic institutions 126 5.2.2. Teacher training colleges 126 5.2.3. University music programmes in Zimbabwe 127 5.2.4. Music academies in Zimbabwe *129 viii 5.2.5. Polytechnic colleges 131 5.5.1. Positioning 145 5.5.2. Grip 145 5.5.3. Single stroke technique 146 5.5.4. Dead stroke technique 147 5.5.5. Rolling technique 147 5.5.6. Chordal technique 148 5.5.7. Splitting technique 148 5.5.8. Alternating technique 149 CHAPTER 6 MARIMBA CONSTRUCTION IN CONTEMPORARY ZIMBABWE ix CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS REFERENCES 203 x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Distribution map for Zimbabwe marimba bands (Wonder Maguraushe 2016) 18 Figure 2.1 The Zambezi Valley (Sounds around the World 2014) 58 Figure 6.1 Pitch ranges (Nancy Zeltsman 2014) 155 Figure 7.1 Marimba Performance Theory Model 195 xi LIST OF PLATES Plate 2.1 The Venda Mbila mutondo (Hugh Tracey, 1948) 53 Plate 2.2 The Chopi timbila ensemble (Hugh Tracey, 1948) 54 Plate 2.3 The Nkoyi shilimba (Sheasby Matiure, 2008) 56 Plate 2.4 The Lozi silimba (Sheasby Matiure, 2008) 57 Plate 2.5 The Zambezi Valley (Sounds around the World 2014) 58 Plate 3.1 Some members of Hloseni Arts Ensemble (Sibanda 2014) 69 Plate 3.2 Kutinya Marimba Band members (Nicholas Manomano 2016) 71 Plate 3.3 Sinsika Marimba Band playing together with a tourist (Source) 74 Plate 3.4 Rimba Resonance Vibes Ensemble (Wonder Maguraushe 2015) 81 Plate 3.5 Timbila Vibes Ensemble (Winstone Antonio 2015) 82 Plate 3.6 Blessing Bled Chimanga playing marimba (Blessing Chimanga 2014) 88 Plate 3.7 Namatayi and Charles Chipanga (Charles Chipanga 2015) 90 Plate 6.1 A standard Zimbabwe marimba set 181 xii LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AU Africa University BUSE Bindura University of Science Education CHIPAWO Children's Performing Arts Workshop CU Catholic University CUT Chinhoyi University of Technology DANIDA Danish International Development Agency EU European Union GZU Great Zimbabwe University HIFA Harare International Festival of the Arts HIT Harare Institute of Technology LSU Lupane State University MSU Midlands State University MTC Mutare Teachers College NACZ National Arts Council of Zimbabwe NASH National Association of Secondary School Heads NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations NUST National University of Science and Technology RIO-SET Research and Intellectual Output, Science, Engineering and Technology SADC Southern African Development Community SIDA Swedish International Development Agency TAMW Transition Arts Music Workshop TIFAZ Tertiary Institutions Festival of Arts UZ University of Zimbabwe WUA Women’s University in Africa ZAM Zimbabwe Academy of Music ZANU–PF Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front ZCM Zimbabwe College of Music ZIMURA Zimbabwe Music Rights Association ZOU Zimbabwe Open University ZRP Zimbabwe Republic Police xiii CHAPTER 1 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY AND RESEARCH PROCEDURES INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY For centuries, the nature of music and its function in human life have been explored by musicians and philosophers such as Plato (280BC), Suzanne Langer (1957) and Immanuel Kant (1987). In The Republic, Plato