My connections to Zimbabwe keep growing from year to year. This interesting development is deeply connected to music, books and food. Last year, Makhosi KaMahlangu invited me to write a preface to a book entitled African Food Revolution. I was immediately drawn music of my youth.
I had been struggling my privious grades but 1980 marked the year of a rebound. I was truly on survival mode. But Survival just happened to be a hit song by an international rasing star known as Bob Marley. The other song on the vinyl record was a song entitled Zimbabwe.
I obviously didn't know the significance of both songs at the time. As I would later find out, the song Zimbabwe had been composed and performed at the independence celebration of the country Zimbabwe. The song started with a section of a speech by the late Haile Selassie, head of state of Ethiopia, given at the League of Nations. Ethiopia was dealing with Italian occupation at the time.
It Was another 5 years before we added a second Bob's record in the form of a cassette untitled Uprising. Two of my favorite songs from that record were Coming In From the Cold and Redemption Song.
When my brother, Mhoze Chikowero gifted me a copy of his book entitled African Music, Power, and Being in Colonial Zimbambwe, I knew I was in for a treat. It's a great joy to be able to connect with this African scholar through his writing. Then I read the first chapter and I was deeply touched by the deep connections he makes between music and power. It's now abundantly clear that we are all in the midst of a great Uprising of our Indigenous Consciousness. The Indigenous cultural elements that survived colonial and religious onslaught are forming a solid foundation.
In my memory, Zimbabwe is a word that has been tied to music and struggle. The future doesn't look any different but now includes food and books. Like three bearded sisters, food, books and music have all been instrumental in the struggle for justice. That is why I say Kupa Kutenda to those three siblings.