Leisure and politics in Africa

Leisure and politics in Africa

For a long time, there is being a debate on whether there is a correlation between politics and entertainment in Africa. This debate is centred on the fact that some of them were used to pass political messages in Africa appears to be more entertaining. A close look at the issue shows that the genres which are used in politics are the same ones which are used in Africa for leisure activities. This may not be a mere coincidence because a more in-depth investigation shows that some of the genres used in politics incorporate the cultural practices of Africans. It is in this context that the book African music, power and being in colonial Zimbabwe with the documentary Amandla revolution in four-part  Harmony are considered. The two genres speak about politics in Africa during the colonization period.  The film explores the use of music during the struggle against the apartheid regime for political purposes. The film seems to suggest that even nonpolitical songs became political when they were sung in the political context. In the book, the author considers the use of different genres in colonial Zimbabwe for political reasons (Mtshali & Gugu 515). It is suggested in the book that whoever can positively influence the leisure time of the people will have their attention. Therefore, an analysis of the book and the film shows a strong correlation between leisure and politics in Africa.

The book African music, power and being in colonial Zimbabwe, written by Chikowero, Mhoze provides an overview of the history and a new understanding of music in Zimbabwe using sources. The book relies heavily on the colonial archives to carefully dissects the correlation between music and colonialism, which dates back to 1890s. The author notes that the dissection provided of the relationship between music and colonialism is as a result of the interactions, upbringings and the experience from the learning at school (Amoah 151). The book is well written and in an informative way, and the author’s views inform it of the performances using the traditional genre as well as the interactions with some artists most of whom have been friends with the author. A close reading of the book will help the author to understand the relationship between songs, power and knowledge generation in the context of colonial Zimbabwe.

On the other hand, the documentary Amandla revolution in four-part  Harmony explores the role of music in the south African apartheid struggle from the 1940s to the early 1990s. According to documentary, music played a critical role during the apartheid struggle. The documentary captures the way music was used to pass the political message to those who could not be moved by the leaflets and the persuasive speeches which were made during the struggle.  Music served as threw source of strength, support and pride for those who were leading the struggle as it was used mainly to motivate and boost their morale (Gibney 195). The documentary captures the role of music as a tool of communication to pass the struggle message and as a tool of war as some dances were used as weapons. As noted by Abdullah Ibrahim in the documentary, music was not only used in the liberation struggle but also as a part of the process of self-liberation for the black South Africans.

One of the key similarities between the book and the documentary is that both of them brings out the critical role played by music in the struggle for independence in the African context. According to the book, African music, power, and being in colonial Zimbabwe, music was an essential tool in the struggle for independence in Zimbabwe. It was a tool which was used to pass the political message to the people in the rural areas who either because of their illiteracy and lack of access to political rallies could not be convinced through leaflets sand speeches. Most of the songs which were being sung were developed by guerilla and passed among the urban and rural population (Chikowero 303). This was very important as it inspired the young people, some of whom later joined the guerilla movement. In the same point, the documentary, Amandla revolution in four-part Harmony, the role of music in the apartheid struggle in South Africa is captured. According to the film, the songs were essential in passing the political message to the people who could not be convinced through a written message of speeches.  Music was important in the politicization of the masses because it was part of the Africans traditions, and it incorporated the culture and values of the Africans. As captured in the two sources, the use of music to pass the political message during the struggle in the two countries was useful because it inspired the would-be later young revolutionaries.

The second similarities in the book and the documentary is the way both shows how even the nonpolitical leisure activities were politicized to pass political messages.  In the struggle for political freedom, the main focus of those at the forefront is to get the support of the masses. They seek to bring on board the members of the society to support the course. Therefore, they are always ready to go out of their way and use all means possible to politicize even those without interest in society. In the film and the book, the main genres which captures the culture and values of the society are used to politicized people in society. For instance, during the apartheid in South Africa, nonpolitical songs all over sudden were converted to political songs. According to the documentary, it was not unusual for a love song to be turned into a revolutionary song. This is because the song could effectively be used to communicate between the freedom fighters and those who supported them. The song was politicized because of the context in which they were sung. In the same way, in the book, the authors show that the setting in which the music is composed reflects the shared values and cognitive behaviour as well as the shared code. It is noted in the book that music is a means of communication not only among the living but also between life and the ancestors. This shows the shared notion, ion the book and the film that music can be used as a means of communication and can even be politicized depending on the context in which it is sung.

However, a precise analysis of the book and the documentary reveals some differences. The documentary focus is mainly political. It explores primarily the role played by music in the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa. The documentary mainly focuses on showing that even nonpolitical songs are politicized depending on the context in which they are sung. Music is an essential aspect of communication. On the other hand, although the author of the book considers politics, it is not the only focus.   The book explains how the music reflects the shared values in society.  The books, therefore, explore the ability of the music to capture the attention of the people in times of politics(Chikowero112). Music is used to politicize those who are not easily convinced through speeches and writings. Therefore, according to the author, whoever captures the leisure time of the people will have them. This seems to suggest that the songs were designed to entertain and pass the political message, unlike the documentary which seems to indicate that any songs can be politicized depending on the context in which it is sung.

An analysis of the book and the film provides an in-depth insight into the intersection between politics and leisure in Africa.  This is because the fil and the book suggest that music is an essential genre of passing the political message and ensuring that those capture it without political interest. It is used to politicize those who cannot be swayed through writings or speeches. This means that some of the songs are made for entertaining people during their leisure times and passing a political message to the. It is o this basis that Chikowero argues that if one can capture people during leisure than he will have them . in the film, the intersection between leisure and politics is well brought out (Rabaka 14). It is suggested that any song, especially those which are sung for leisure can be politicized depending on the context in which they are composed. For instance, a love song ids politicized when it is sung in the political background to pass a political message. The book and the documentary also bring out the idea that in the African context, politics thrive during leisure time. This means that those who are interested in passing political messages should try and capture the attention of people during their free time. Therefore, there are leisure activities such as dance and songs which are meant to pass political messages in other instances. The political activities are used as an arena for the people to enjoy themselves. For instance, people who are not political are likely to attend a dance, a concert with political songs, and in the process, they are politicized.

From the above analysis, it is evident that the book African music, power, and being in colonial Zimbabwe with the documentary Amandla revolution in four-part considers the correlation between leisure and politics. In both cases, they single out music as the primary genre, which incorporates the African values and culture but at the same time used for political purposes. Some of the leisure activities in Africa are used to mobilize people for political purposes, to mobilize people and to convince people on certain political ideologies. Some leisure activities are not political, but they become political depending on the context in which they are used. For instance, a song which is sung for leisure becomes political when it is sung in political events. However, what is clear is that i9n Africa it is not easy to separate entertainment from politics as the two goes together.

Works cited

Amoah, Nana Abena Dansowaa. “Chikowero, Mhoze. 2015. African Music, Power, and Being in Colonial Zimbabwe.” Africa Today 63.2 (2016): 150-152.

Chikowero, Mhoze. African music, power, and being in colonial Zimbabwe. Indiana University Press, 2015.

Rabaka, Reiland. Civil rights music: The soundtracks of the civil rights movement. Lexington Books, 2016.

Mtshali, Khondlo, and Gugu Hlongwane. “Contextualizing South Africa’s Freedom Songs: A Critical Appropriation of Lee Hirsch’s Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony.” Journal of Black Studies 45.6 (2014): 507-527.

Gibney, Mark. “Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony (Lee Hirsch, 2002).” Watching Human Rights. Routledge, 2015. 195-195.