Chibaba imparted liberation struggle to youths

21 Feb, 2021 - 00:02 0 Views
Chibaba imparted liberation struggle to youths The late Soul Jah Love

The Sunday Mail

Dr Munoda
Mararike

HIS Excellency, President Mnangagwa has done the right and most honourable thing by conferring Soul Musaka known as Soul Jah Love, — a liberation hero status. This extraordinary act is welcome as there has not been a fair recognition of the “art for art’s sake” and here are the reasons why:

Collateral damages of colonialism

During the old colonial days, part of the repressive ideology was to destroy the cultural artefacts of the African people because the racist white regime wanted to subjugate the African people. Our people lost their culture, religion, norms and traditional values. They lost their rich heritage in form of song and dance.

We were made to believe that our culture was inferior — it was relegated to the pagan and archaic practices. The Badel Bokasa cannibalism allegations and portrayal of Idi Amin as a blood thirst dictator in “Last King of Scotland” is part of the vilified campaign to degrade and denigrate the African people and an outright distortion of a human race.

Ngugi wa Thiongo’s “Decolonising the Mind” is part of his stoic attempt to correct distorted colonial perceptions especially on the African people. In order for us to celebrate who we are, we need to understand ourselves as a people first.

At local level, the Department of African education was part of the Rhodesia strategy to pacify a people by creating local and indoctrinated heroes who functioned within the mainframe of their interests.

Thus the likes of Jordan Chataika (of Kudzidza Kwakanaka fame), Mhuri yekwa Mukadota (of Baba va Rwizi fame) and the celebrity status of “Tiki” bioscope was in part, an agenda to keep the African resistance down as they sought comfort in created heroes. What this meant was that African arts was heavily censored and controlled by the white Rhodesian minority regime at the expense of Africans.

Background of Soul Musaka

Soul Jah Love had a tough background, spending part of his life in the radicalised streets of Mbare. Like most youths who are a product of this township, Musaka found it hard to co-exist with vicious circles of poverty in Mbare.

He strolled along Rakajani Street to Chatima Road; from Chatima Road to 7th Street, from Matapi to Beatrice Cottage, Stordart to Mai Misodzi Hall. From Magaba to Mupedzanhamo.

The singer was everywhere “Chigunduru” — as a street kid achidziya ma card box pa flyover paya.

Music became an accidental escape route from the backwater of the grim high density suburb.

The ravages of deprivation stretching back to bedroom township status that supplied cheap labour to the nearby Mashonaland Tobacco Sales Floors, Lever Brothers, Lion Matches, National Breweries, Lyons Maid, Lobels Bakeries and Agrifoods. Soul Jah Love missed the citadel and oasis of Harare High School — but that did not mean his talent was a waste.

Music knocked doors and opened a new chapter in his life. His somewhat husky and determined voice catapulted him to the stage where he became an instant household name in ghettos and even in leafy suburbs of Philadelphia and Gletwin! As a team player he masterminded a number of collaborations with other artistes resulting in his dominance on the Zimdancehall.

Rich lyrics and messages

It is his political maestro that defined his music: Takanga tichikambeina, vakada kugocompleina, vatadza kuzvi susteina, Chiona isusu tiri panyanga…. Varwadziwa kana vanofara hameno ikoko tichingootoonga ivo vari ikoko! Nyangwe vakanzi vapihwa mari nevarungu ikoko . . . tichingotonga ma investor hobho!

His detest of those selling out the country by calling for sanctions and receiving bloody monetary gains — was lucidly clear and strident!

This music resonated with the mass and ordinary conscious member of our citizenry. It etched a new era of our belonging as a political figure towering above party politics. He continues — “ . . . Yakatorwa neropa iyi, ivhu harina kungouya iri vakaenda musango varume ava . . .”

Soul Jah Love is able to define the history of our armed struggle in lyrical form, as he sings of dedication and sacrifices of freedom fighters.

In doing so, the singer imparts the rich knowledge of our liberation struggle to the youths — who sometimes are misdirected by neo-colonial machinations. He manages to illustrate that the doors of success can be opened for those who work hard — from anywhere.

Those in doubt are convinced of where we came from in the struggle for independence.

His references in most of his songs to penalties are indicative that he wants the youths to be prepared for every situation in life. For Soul Jah Love, learning was part of empowering the youth through knowledge development.

Plight of our musicians

A lot of our musicians perished, citing working conditions and the rough character of the music industry.

In post-independence Zimbabwe, many endured long hours of travel in battered and ramshackle vehicles.

John Chibadura and Tembo Brothers, Tedious Matsito and his band were involved in a horrific accident. Runn Family band members perished in an accident that claimed lives. The issue of royalties has been documented in the past (Fred Zindi, Bothwell Nyamhondera, Stella Chiweshe). Marshall Munhumumwe in a rare interview, cited that the music industry was “dangerous”.

Many of our artistes passed on because of HIV and AIDS. Stalwarts like Leonard Dembo ended up at the mess of Mapositori as they failed to access proper medical care.

Paul Matavire lived in destitute after his prison term and failed to access psycho-social interventions. Brian Rusike died alone at his Gunhill home and was discovered after almost 2 months — he had suffered from acute depression and isolation.

Soul Jah Love was suffering from diabetes from the age of seven. In the helter-skelter of showbiz, someone especially his manager should have taken the initiative to ensure that Soul Jah Love’s medical condition was properly managed.

In a studio interview, the singer narrates his fight with diabetes and intimates that he was going to die. Why didn’t someone take that seriously?

How about organising periodic medical reviews?

How about ensuring that he had adequate reserves of insulin — because he afforded these?

There are litanies of images of death in his songs and there is evidence that he failed to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (from loss of both parents, twin brother, housing demolition and abject poverty).

We cannot afford to lose artistes in a carefree and negligent manner.

For now, artistes must understand that there is nothing embarrassing in accessing health services including mental health.

Artistes who need the services of social workers and other therapists must not hesitate to seek for these. It is better to pay for preventive services than to pay for medical bills.

It is better to pay for medical bills than to pay with death. In any case the money which they earn after many hours of hard work, must be used to prevent many hours of hardships.

Soul Jah Love’s chronic sociological problems were probably overshadowed by allegations of drug addiction and this was at a huge cost for our nation. Soul Jah Love — Rest in Peace, you made your mark and you will be missed by many!

 

Dr Munoda Mararike can be contacted via [email protected]

 

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