A self-made Zimbabwean musician: A case study of DIY culture in the global south

Abstract

This article contributes to defining global south DIY music culture by evaluating the career of a Zimbabwean self-made musician, Clive Mono Mukundu. Therefore, it assesses how his career exhibits extant DIY culture traits and strategies while exploring challenges specific to the Zimbabwe music scene. I reviewed the musician's autobiography and conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews to collect the data I analyse using the DIY culture traits and strategies, presenting it as thick descriptions. The findings help to illustrate some of the distinctive qualities of southern DIY culture coupled with northern traits and strategies. Hence, there is a need for specific global south DIY culture definitions inclusive of traits and strategies. The article recommends inclusivity through promoting global south participation in creative economy debates and argues for replication of this research to avoid overgeneralising its findings and help to establish a broader picture of southern DIY culture and music scenes.