Espousal of Home-Grown Production Techniques for Zimbabwean Indigenous Music in the Digitized Age

Globally, there is an increased use of music technologies with reduced human involvement hence some productions are dominated by Western genres. In this study, we explored the utilization of digital technologies in home-grown music productions in twenty-first century Zimbabwe. The onset of digital technology has at times been viewed as a total abandonment of African indigenous music productions. Paradoxically, there is a steady rise in the productions that emulate the attributes of analogue and indigenous Zimbabwean music. Some music producers have begun to produce indigenous musical prototypes predominantly the beats, and warm sound, to appeal to the population that yearns for indigenous genres. The study was laboratory based with critical listening to derive data for analysis and discussion. We purposively drew and examined closely some music productions by Zimbabwean producers. Through listening we scrutinized the mbira instrument as one of the fundamental musical instruments in Zimbabwe. We observed and examined the production process of an Afro Fusion song Handina Mwana Anoramba. As researchers, we critically listened to the Shona Gospel song Kana Chipostora Chotaurwa to appreciate the use of digital production tools. An exploration of how digital technology has given rise to the mbira music was undertaken. The study discovered that some music producers take advantage of digital production tools to produce African musical prototypes and genres, particularly the mbira instrument. In spite of the shift toward a digitally driven music production industry, preservation of indigenous music is tenable. The African rhythms, sounds, and instruments have become part of some digital audio workstations used in music productions in Zimbabwe. Findings indicate that analogue is still a relevant and yearned-for attribute of sound. We recommend further research to develop more African musical instrument sound samples and loops to be used as building blocks for the production of indigenous genres.