Preserving the Tangible Material Culture of the Shona Traditional Music Legacy: An Applied Ethnomusicological Report

Abstract

This article focuses on the preservation of the tangible material culture of the Shona traditional music legacy. It reports on how the author collected and deposited the Shona tangible materials used during both sacred and secular contexts. For this research, an applied action research methodology was employed together with ethnography. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in Hwedza, Chikomba, Bhuhera, and Gweru, and the applied action approach informed the preservation of tangible materials. The findings indicated that the paradigm shift in religious belief, rural-to-urban migration, and modern technology are threatening the sustenance of the Shona traditional materials and that there is a need to protect them before they disappear. As a mitigative measure, the author collected some musical instruments and traditional objects and deposited them in a local departmental music archive at a university in Zimbabwe. It is therefore recommended that more collections be done to safeguard the vulnerable music heritage of the Shona.