The glorification of patriarchy in Paul Matavire’s music lyrics

Abstract

ABSTRACT The late blind Zimbabwean musician, Paul Matavire, mesmerised his audience with a music genre whose lyrics addressed and continue to address contemporary social issues. His music occupies a prominent place in Zimbabwe’s music history and continues to portray the normative values of an Afro-traditional music genre. Three of his late-1980s hits, Dhiyabhorosi Nyoka (Diabolical snake), Taurayi zvenyu (Just speak please!) and Tanga Wandida (Love me first), collectively glorify patriarchy while portraying women as subservient to the masculine gender. In Dhiyabhorosi Nyoka, Matavire controversially uses biblical inter-textual allusions, humour, and sarcasm to demonstrate that Eve’s original sin was the genesis of the challenges besetting contemporary society (and especially men). He deploys a gendered perspective and demeaning language in other songs considered in this article. This article is grounded in a narrative agency perspective in discussing how Matavire’s music portrays and glorifies patriarchy through vocal characterisations. The selected songs’ lyrics are also examined to determine their implications for educational management, such as gender tolerance and respect.