Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Joyce Jenje Makwenda
4 November 2009
opinion
Harare — THE family has a lot to contribute on how a woman negotiates public space.
The confinement of women when they are young follows them throughout their lives into adulthood and being in public space may not necessarily change their perception of how they view public space and themselves.
Therefore family structures are important in terms of encouraging and supporting women, particularly women in music, because of the nature of their work, which, is in a very public space.
Such support gives them the confidence that it is acceptable to go out there and sing and perform. Family support has helped some women musicians to be able to become musicians and to see music as any other normal profession.
Lina Mattaka and Evenly Juba who entered the music scene in the 1930's were initially part of musical family groups and then went on to sing with their husbands.
Being in the music business with the members of their families, particularly their husbands gave Lina Mattaka and Evelyn Juba dignity on stage, which saved their public persona from being scrutinised by the media, society and their patrons.
Most women who sing with their husbands met their husbands in music circles. For this kind of couple, music is seen as just any other job or hobby.
Couples who meet through family musical groups tend to take music as a way of life and being in public space for the woman is nothing new.
For instance, Francisca (Mai) Muchena met her late husband Mondereki through their families who were involved in mbira playing at biras. They continued singing as a couple and with their children.
I attended performances when she was singing with her husband in the 1990's and she would just take over the stage and shine. Her husband was not worried; rather he would support his wife.
Watching their show one could see and feel a positive energy around them. In such a situation inhabiting public space is not heavy for the women involved; they can show their musical talents without inhibitions.
There are times when Mai Muchena would be invited to perform on her own without her husband and the husband did not see any problem in this.
However, most couples that perform together end up fighting for attention and fame, and in cases where Mai Muchena was invited to perform alone it could have caused problems in their marriage.
Fighting for fame and limelight among singing couples seems to be an international problem. Ike and Tina Turner the once famous American couple are an example of how a husband might get threatened by his wife's success and fame.
Ike ended up physically and sexually abusing Tina Turner until she moved out of the marriage.
Mai Muchena attributes this to insecurity and misunderstanding on the man's part and encourages women not to be intimidated and to go for their dreams.
Some of the other women who also shared or share/shared the stage with their husbands are Virginia Sillah-Jangano, Shuvai Utaunashe and Amai Olivia Charamba. Although some of these women started on their own and met their husbands through music.
Virginia Sillah had started music at an early age and was encouraged by her aunt (her father's sister) who raised her after her mother passed away when she was only three.
Sillah's aunt was blind but played a cello and a guitar, she also worked as a teacher for the Jairos Jiri Association, an organisation for physically challenged people.
The Jairos Jiri Association had a musical group called The Sunrise Kwela Kings that was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. When she was at Mzilikazi Primary School, Mr Jiri noticed Virginia Sillah's talent and asked her aunt if she could sing for the band.
Because Sillah was encouraged by her aunt (and a family associate Jairos Jiri) she discovered that she had a talent that was appreciated and also that she did not have stage fright.
Virginia drew her strength and inspiration from her aunt who was a strong woman: she had an idol to look up to in her family.
From then on she did not look back. When she completed her secondary school education, Sillah moved to the capital city, Harare, and joined several bands and sang at various venues. When she joined the Harare Mambos she met her husband Green Jangano.
A family outfit in the 1950's produced the youngest musician of that time, Bertha (Mattaka) Msora. She was introduced to music and acting at the early age of five.
While Bertha (Mattaka) Msora was young she featured in dramas and films in which her parents took a leading role.
She continued with her acting career in her adult life and she wrote a very popular television drama (series) on adoption in the African context, titled Nyasha.
Family groups continued to have an impact on the music scene in the 1950s as a way of protecting women musicians, parents felt safe when their daughters (women musicians) were in family groups.
For example, Faith Dauti, popularly known as the "shot gun boogie", came from such a group, The Milton Brothers, which comprised of her brother and two cousins. Moving in music circles Faith married a musician called Timothy Selani, and they had two children.
Another star musician who came from a musical family is Chiwoniso Maraire. Chiwoniso started playing mbira at a very early age. Maraire was in public space at an early age because of encouragement from her parents and later in life she got support from friends and the band she was playing with.
She was able to negotiate public space because of the confidence that she gained from her childhood and this confidence helped her to approach the band that she later performed with before she went solo. When she started performing in different public venues she had support of family and friends, her father would support her by attending her shows.
Similarly, Jane Chenjerayi, who was popular in the 1970s, was introduced to the public by her mother Susan Chenjerayi who was a musician.
As a result, Jane was not intimidated by public space. She used to tour with her mother. Chenjerayi had access to public space because of her early childhood in which her mother had paved the way and gave her confidence.
An unusual combination of father and daughter came on the music scene in the 1980s in the popular-traditional music gatherings and shows.
Although traditionalists in society complained at first, they later accepted this combination as the man; particularly a father has some authority, which society respects. It was as if he was giving away his daughter away to the public -- which was his social right since it is the same practice as at weddings (the giving away) and is therefore acceptable.
A young woman musician who made her debut on August 8, 2008 on Women's Day, Nomsa Mhlanga, accompanied by her father Louis Mhlanga (on guitar), started her musical career when she was only four years old. Her first musical project was with her father when they worked on a project, which, had to do with abused children for the SABC.
Similarly, Amara Brown is also one of the few women musicians who started singing at a very tender age with her father Andy Brown who was that time married to Chiwoniso.
Amara was introduced to the public when she was young and that helped her to be a confident musician. She was in the top 10 of the 2008 Idols Competition that was held in Kenya.
Confidence is a crucial component that helps women to rise to a higher level, but all too often before they can get anywhere their confidence is shattered.
Many women musicians have had to prove that music is just like any other profession and build their public persona to convince people that being a musician is work like any other, and this is the profession they want to do.
That is why the family has a role to play in creating confidence in women and to support women musicians in educating the society by standing by their wives, daughters, sisters who decide to take music as a profession.
Women continue creating your own space in the public and celebrate your talents and professions.
Joyce Jenje Makwenda is the author of the book, Zimbabwe Township Music. Her forthcoming book is titled Women Musicians of Zimbabwe 1930's-2008.
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