Zimbabwean music has its tentacles extended beyond borders and even overseas onto the international scene. Thomas Mapfumo has established his base in the Mid Western United States, from where he produces his music and launch worldwide tours.

Chiwoniso, the late mbira and vocalists virtually lived in the United States as well while touring the world. Oliver Mutukudzi, the late singer, had his base in Norton Zimbabwe, but reached virtually every part of the world.

La Dee, a female House and Afro-Pop  genre singer who recently collaborated with Lindough a South African singer is also recording her music from South Africa where she is currently based after moving from Zimbabwe in 2008 to further his music career.  

Zimbabwean music has broadened in the recent decades, so many genres have been introduced some inspired by the western culture like hip-hop which boasts some amazingly talented performers like Takura, T Gonzi and Ten. 

Other upcoming artist like Holy Ten are also doing very well nonetheless but there are also authentic African Genres like mbira music, Zora music, Sungura music, Zim dancehall, Gospel, Urban grooves and Chimurenga music . 

Thanks to its landlocked location, Zimbabwe shares multiple borders in the southern part of Africa, with Zambia to the northwest, Mozambique to the northeast, and South Africa and Botswana to the south.  It is situated at 20°S and 30°E of the equator.  The nearest coast is on the Indian Ocean and can be accessed through Mozambique. 

Zimbabwe has a variety of terrains, featuring a number of natural wonders.  Zimbabwe is known  globally for its velds, which are open rural landscapes covered by grass or scrub, and Victoria Falls, a colossal curtain of water that stretches for 1,708 metres, reaching 108 metres in height - one of the largest in the world.  Zimbabwe is also home to the Zambezi River, the fourth longest river in Africa, and Mount Nyangani, the country’s highest point.  

The country’s landscape is divided into three geographical regions — the Lowveld, the Middleveld and the Highveld.  The Lowveld is a plateau with an altitude of below 600 meters and covers almost a fifth of Zimbabwe’s area. It is hotter and drier than other parts of the country and characterized by grassy plains. The Middleveld is also a plateau, but ranges from 900 to 1,200 meters in height and consists of areas with wooded savannah and bracken-covered hills. 

The Highveld is dotted with massive granite outcrops popularly known as kopjes.  The area spans 650 kilometers from the northeast to the southwest and 80 kilometers east to west, with a varied topography ranging from smooth and gentle to rough and mountainous. It takes up a quarter of the country and includes the Eastern Highlands, the highest altitude in the country.  The Eastern Highlands have a variety of flora, including miombo and mopane forests, as well as baobab and sausage trees, which are characteristic of the Zimbabwean landscape.

Zimbabwe can also be divided into five regions based on rainfall, soil quality, and vegetation variations.  Natural Region 1 is located in the east of the country, and has abundant rainfall and dense vegetation.  Region 5 sits in the south, also home to the Lowveld, and has sparse rainfall, and thus less vegetation. 

Mount Nyangani, in the Eastern Highlands, is the country’s highest point at 2,592 meters, while the junction of the Runde and Save Rivers is the lowest, at 162 meters. The Eastern Highlands region is a forest-grassland featuring both rain forests and rolling hills. The Zambezi River is Zimbabwe’s longest, at 2,650 kilometers, and is also the longest eastward-flowing river in Africa. Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya (which translates as “the smoke that thunders”) is Zimbabwe’s top tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Falls are fed by the Zambezi River and are at their fullest in February and March. The Matobo Hills in the south of Zimbabwe are a collection of balancing granite boulders that appear to defy gravity. The hills are also considered sacred by the locals.

Climatologically, the country has  a subtropical to tropical climate, with temperatures varying by season. The climate also varies by altitude and the entire country is influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), an area spanning the earth, near the equator, where the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres come together.  Zimbabwe’s summers are generally hot and humid, with average temperatures of 35°C, with the hottest months being January and February.  The rainy season lasts from November to March, and the dry, cool season stretches from May to September.

When rainfall is sparse, it affects geographical areas that rely on it, like the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.  This results in a shrinking of the Falls, such as the dramatic drop in volume seen in 2019. Low rainfall also affects the Eastern Highlands, whose rain forests depend and thrive on large amounts of rainfall.  Zimbabwe’s climate, particularly its rainfall, thus play a pivotal part in  the continuity and condition of many of the country’s geographical sites, which are a wonder not only to the local people, but worldwide as well. 

Attending a show like Oliver Mtkudzi’s was an immersive experience of his renowned live musical presentation. Fans would always make sure to get tickets whenever Mtukudzi was coming to town.Accompanying guitar maestro Clive Mono Mukundu had an intimate insider’s perspective while playing in Tuku’s band. 

Mukundu explained that it was expected as part of the stage performance for Tuku to spontaneously break into a solo dance or sometimes well choreographed dance moves while accompanied by dancer and singer  Eric Picky Kasamba. The most popular choreographed dances were to the songs "Perekedza mwana" and "Wenge Mambo”. Mono went on to add that Tuku wanted to incorporate traditional dances from his Korekore tribe while the rest were original moves he made.

Historically dance played a pivotal role in the Zimbabwean culture. Zimbabwean dances are communal and largely performed in the rural areas, where about 75% of Zimbabwe’s population lives. Although the traditional purposes of the dances tend to change over time, their meaning and significance remains the same. 

Back in the days a celebration without wasn’t a celebration without dance, men would dance and women would sing. If there was a celebration going you would hear the sound of the drums, mbira and amahlwayi from a distance complimenting each other very well.  

Allen Mahwehwe a CC Footstep dancer based in Bulawayo says his favorite indigenous dance is Hosana. He said he thinks every Zimbabwean citizens should be familiar with it because it connects us to our forefathers. He went on to say it was one of the most important dances  perfomed at the Njelele shrine when elders asked and pleaded for rain from the ancestors.

Rhythm is an important aspect of Zimbabwean traditional dances. Like most African dances, Zimbabwean dances employ polyrhythm, which is usually complemented by body articulation. The most common musical instruments used in the dances are mbira, hosho (rattle), ngoma (drum), magavhu (leg rattle) and the human voice. 

Blessing Stoxie a Bulawayo based female dancer and perfomer says dance is life to her and it makes her feel good about herself. She says she is so proud of herself as she procured her first ever award for Outstanding female dancer in the P.R.A.C.A awards 2020. She says she is looking forward to working on diversifying her art to suit different audience and incorporate different form of art. Blessing Stoxie is also a Community messenger under Victory Siyanqoba trust led by the famous Bulawayo poet Desire Moyoxide. She has used her dance skills to send messages to the communities at Road shows  and stage plays. She add on to say dance speaks a lot for those who cannot speak for themselves.

The mbira is perhaps the most widely used instrument in traditional Zimbabwean music just like the famous Zimbabwean artist Andy Muridzo and Jah prayzer uses it in their music . It is plucked with the fingers to produce the melody, and is often used during religious rituals by spirit mediums in order to communicate with ancestral spirits. Another important aspect of traditional dance is the clothing. Most of the costumes are made from natural materials such as grass and animal skin.

In the  Zimbabwean culture there are about 12 prominent traditional dances,namely Shangara, Mbira dance, Dinhe, Mbakumba, Muchongoyo, Jerusarema, Mhande, Isitschikitsha, Amabhiza, Ingquza, Chinyobera and Ngungu. The Jerusarema dance and the Muchongoyo are widely regarded as the most important and distinctive dances of Zimbabwe till date.

The Zimbabwe of today is characterized by a diverse system of cultural beliefs. Whether it’s a belief in God, known in Shona as Mwari or uMlimu in Ndebele, ancestors, superstition or any other supernatural phenomenon. Belief systems can define, identify or distinguish communities based on what they stand for. 

With the arrival of European Missionaries like David Livingston around 1859 churches began springing up that introduced locals to Christianity. Christians, as per belief, say Jesus is the medium between them and God. A belief which negates and disavows the need for traditional ancestral worship.

Notably Christianity introduced the world’s best selling book, the Bible - which provides guidance and direction for their belief system. Church buildings provided opportunity for believers to gather and be taught or preached to. The bible is regarded as the ultimate authority that lays down and reinforces a set of rules by which believers are guided.

By converting to Christianity, those Zimbabweans would be turning away from an ancestral worship system that goes back hundreds of years, whose core focus was in honouring the dead by welcoming their spirits back. 

Were the missionaries right by denouncing the ancestors? Were they telling the truth when they said the dead are dead and can not help the living? 

In her book, Nehanda, Yvonne Vera on page 27 states; “The dead are not dead. They are always around us, protecting us. There is no living person who is stronger than the departed. When the whole village prays together, they pray to the ancestral mudzimu of their clan. When we pray to mhondoro for rain, we are praying to the guardian that unites the whole clan. This is one of the strongest spirits of the land.”

This had been passed on from generation to generation. Forefathers prayed to their forefathers for protection, long life and blessings. They did this by calling out clan names while pouring traditional beer and snuff (pfuko) on the ground. Pleasing their ancestors then led to their prosperity; so they believed. If they sensed the ancestors were displeased they would hold rituals to appease them.

Speaking to a 31 year old woman, who wished to remain anonymous she revealed that ancestors do exist and so are their supernatural powers. When asked why she's so sure about their existence, she revealed that her mother was a Hossana - someone who communicates with the ancestors and conveys or interprets the message to the living. 

“Amadlozi do exist, it's bad now because Africans have decided to do away with them following other people's religion. They exist and protect us all the time.” Said she. “My mother had amadlozi and I would see them manifesting through her.  A male voice would take over and speak with anyone present. The voice would enquire about the health of the whole family, it would go further and warn about the oncoming danger and later give preventive measures to protect us. She was a Hossana and when she was  alive everything was perfect in our lives for she would from time to time offer something to the ancestors in exchange for our well-being and good life.” She went on to display her displeasure of how the new generation disrespects ancestors by not acknowledging them and terming them demons. 

Seemingly a minority of the population in Zimbabwe still believe in African Tradition Religion (ATR). According to the 2017 Inter Censal Demography Survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, Protestant Christianity dominates the population with 69.2% of Zimbabweans under their wing, followed by Roman Catholic that is at 8.0%. Only about 4% of Zimbabweans still believe in our forefathers religion that is ATR. Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism adds to 1.2% of the Zimbabwe population while the unspecified number is at 8%.

What was it before colonization?

Like many other African communities, Zimbabwe had a firm monotheistic faith rooted in the belief of one supreme creator. Before Christianity, the Shona speaking people and Ndebele speaking people believed in channelling their prayers to the Supreme Creator, Mwari (God), through family ancestors. When trouble and misfortunes befell the community, they consulted a spirit medium, N'anga, for advice. The spirit mediums were believed to have direct contact with the ancestors. 

Great Zimbabwe and Matobo Hills which inspired the San artists' inspiration became the spiritual shrines of the Mbire people and Ndebele, respectively. When the Mbire-ruled Rozvi empire was overthrown by Mzilikazi during the fifteenth century, the Shona people continued to visit their shrines for guidance and protection. Each shrine had an Oracle- the voice of Mwari. The religion was so powerful that it spread across Limpopo and was taken by the Venda community. 

This religion attained its spiritual greatness in the Matobo Hills area. This eventually led to their spiritual Mwari known as Mwari vemaMatonjeni - God of the Matobo and was later adopted by the Ndebele who even today still believe in the sacredness of Matobo Hills. The Ndebele called their God, uMlimu, provider of rain and the nature guardian. They sought divine intervention whenever calamity threatened. They did this through priests and oracles. It was through their belief in ancestors that they went against the Europeans in 1886. 

How is the society of today?

A glimpse of the cultural trend today can be gleaned by listening to popular music by the late Oliver Mtukudzi or Thomas Mapfumo among others. M’tukudzi seemed to sing about cultural wisdom and in some songs sang to God the Creator. The late singer Chiwoniso Maraire embraced one of the oldest known instruments mbira, singing about ancestors and their effect on every day life. Another Mbira maestro, Stella Chiweshe has her music rooted in cultural and ancestral vibes.

Christianity and other western cultures have spread in Zimbabwe over the years. Muslim, this religion has spread across the world becoming prominent and acceptable in Western countries and cultures. Zimbabwe also has mosques that can be found in all major cities. There are estimates of 75 000 Muslims, 18 Mosques in the city of Harare, 8 in Bulawayo and a number of mosques in small towns.