In the seen, the spoken and the sung
IN my artistic manifestation I believe in the power of art as an expressive tool that speaks a deep message. In its entertainment e ect, the artist has the role to stimulate joy and emotions.
In its edutaining e ect, art has a deeper retrospect which enlightens and educates the community and society who become the audience.
This means that art is a very powerful tool that can play a critical role in the promotion of development within a community and also individually.
In arts, I believe in the power of the seen as a tool that can enhance and also accentuate the voices of edutainment and growth. So what is the “seen”? The seen represents the visual aspect of art and its potency as a tool in the actualisation of development.
We see the drawings or paintings or icons of art, we see the wooden, plastic or hologram sculpture, and we see what is written on a book, be it a story or poem and even watch a piece of theatre.
A picture or a video too is something that can evoke a deep message that is attached to the issues of development and growth.
I have an interest in theatre a lot and I see it as a very viable tool that can instigate growth and development. Theatre for development turns private, individual stories into public, collective dramas. Advocacy theatre can provide a way for the audience to participate in issues raised. It can have a much greater impact than other forms of advocacy.
In addition to teaching self-expression, the performing arts can help society as a whole in self-knowledge and understanding. Theatre and the performing arts teach society about itself, hoping to point out the attitudes and mindsets of current society.
It can be a tool used to educate people about their current conditions and the visualistic aspect becomes of e ect in the manifest accentuation and the ampli cation of the voice of reason of a society.
I classify myself as an orator or a spoken word artist. My kind of art is experimental in nature where I fuse elements of being poetic with spoken word incalculating a little bit of humour. In it all I manifest also in the artistic mode of the story teller.
I have my phrase where I say “telling the tale told by the teller of the tales”, and this is about using art as a tool of telling real and highly authentic stories of di erence.
It is about opening the mind of the society to di erent reality and promoting inclusion and forms of participation in the issues that relate to the development of the community and even that of individuals. It is about telling narratives that induce positive change and growth.
Poetry and spoken word remain of importance in the eld of edutainment as they have a wider reach and strong impact especially on the youthful generation which is becoming diluted by the “woke” culture.
Remember the woke cultures are teaching nothing but nonsensical progressive propaganda which makes the youth become deviant, and in many cases, lose sense of focus.
As an edutainment tool, the spoken word, which is the manifest of poetry or rap has an e ect. Spoken word and poetry often stick with the listener, causing them to re-read and even memorize the words. Poetic words tend to be easier to memorize than non-poetic ones, and it can help improve a person's memory and make it more receptive to remembering other information as well.
Poetry and spoken word can be a powerful teaching tool, helping individuals and communities in the locale improve their literacy and level of awareness on di erent salient issues.
It can also allow spoken word artists or poets to express their emotions and allow the audience to connect to those emotions. Poetry is also connected to aesthetics, or the exploration of what is beautiful in the world and it is the essence of the afrocentric attributes of our local art.
This also encapsulates story telling which has become lesser and lesser. I am worried about the dearth in the presence of story tellers who maintain the tradition of folklore. It is of importance to note that story telling, especially within the context of Zimbabwe has also been a pivotal aspect of our historical tradition.
Well, lets look at the classical example of Nyatsimba Mutota the founder of the Mutapa kingdom and how his legend substantiates the “Salt theory” in relation to the rise of the Mutapa state. Story telling has a very deep historical allusion as it re ects the essence of the development of the society.
To think about it, story telling also has a deep morality clause attached to it as it opens the mind and the psyche of society.
I remember the common folk tales “Ngano or Inganekwane” of “Umvundla lo fudu” or the “Masiphekane” story of “UMvundla loNteletsha” (the clever hare stories) and these were some stories that were entertaining but had a deep lesson.
This shows the importance of the need to revive story telling as an important tool of promoting the growth and the instigation of development within our communities.
Story telling relates to the locale and also relates to the everyday challenges of a community and when combined with poetry and spoken word, it can even become more e ective as tools of edutainment.
I like to sing a lot and am also a song writer. I have written and continue to write many songs that address di erent salient issues relating to gender dynamics, socio-economic hurdles, bread and butter issues, love, sadness, depression, joy and also humorous songs.
I like the fusion of di erent languages as I seek to even reach deeper on the marginalised tribes and ethnicities in Zimbabwe. The constitution puts it clearly how Zimbabwe has 16 o cial languages, which means there is a vast expanse of musical tradition yet to be explored.
I am worried about how the National Arts Council and the ministry of Arts and Sports never see the value in the promotion of music as it has the potency of enhancing economic development of a nation.
With a vast expanse of cultures, it is of note that there is a high propensity and potential with regard to the exportation of di erent cultures and artists from these speci c cultures.
Mokoomba is a classical example of an international success where music from the “minority” cultural groups had a global impact.
This has to be an eye opener to all stakeholders to have a deeper appreciation of the potential of music as a tool that can enhance the instigation of economic growth and development, and in the process promote development.
Music also has power as it unites elements of the “Seen” and those of the “Spoken”.
Well known throughout the world, Youssou N’Dour is a musical peacemaker in his native Senegal and lends his words and music to critical campaigns, such as malaria prevention programmes. This is a similar case with many African artists like Salife Keita and Habib Koite.
In Benin, UNICEF goodwill ambassador Angélique Kidjo keeps a strong note of social concern in her lyrics singing about hunger, homelessness, Aids and injustice.
Female artists like Fatoumata Diawara and Oumou Sangare from Mali also advocate for women’s rights and antagonize female genital mutilation and child marriages.
Zimbabwe has also seen female artists like Chiwoniso Maraire (late), Hope Masike, Busi Ncube and female bassist Edith We Utonga using the essence of their musicality to address gender and di erent social issues their music.
The late Oliver Mtukudzi’s music created awareness and dialogue around HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe. And some up-and-coming musicians in Zimbabwe are also lending their voices to protests against crime, human rights violations, xenophobia and much more.
Art in its various manifestations is critical in the promotion of growth and development.
Using art as advocacy in times of chaos can build communities, inspire social change, and provide healing for those impacted. Art can result in profound political progress when used as a tool by those who live or work outside the political space.
Raymond Millagre Langa is a musician, poet, orator and independent researcher. He is also the founder of Indebo edutainment Trust. Follow Raymond Millagre Langa
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