Re-contextualisation of traditional oral art forms in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The article seeks to bring out some oral traditional art forms which are prevailing in some contemporary plays broadcasted on Zimbabwean television. It argues that in as much as people would want to follow the Western philosophy of doing things but as Africans there is an inborn nature within people which remind them of where they come from. The re-contextualisation of these art forms explains the importance of the tradition to the indigenous people. The ability to use oral art. forms in these modern plays shows that even playwrights in as much as they would want to reflect the burning issues of the day and move with time, they know their audience's roots. Oral traditional art firms as firms of utterances done by mouth are a product of a people's culture (Miruka1994). This means that there are beliefs', morals and attitudes which are enshrined in these utterances such that their use will make African people feel their Africanness and he able to live as expected by the African society. Their use in some modern plays reflect that despite time which has been overtaken by events but people still value their culture as it was a way of Shona people' philosophy.