The Past, Present and Future of chimazambi instrument of the Ndau people of Zimbabwe

Abstract

This research investigated the factors leading to the decline of the chimazambi musical instrument of the Ndau people of Rusitu Valley in Chimanimani District of Chief Ndima area, Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe. Chimazambi is a Ndau indigenous string instrument which is slightly similar to the chipendani of the Karanga people. While the instrument was performed by the Ndau people in the past, there is no adequate scholarship regarding the origin, use of instrument in the modern times and the future of chimazambi. The study therefore traces the origin of chimazambi instrument. It investigates ways in which the instrument was played as well as its purpose within the Ndau culture. The research adopted a qualitative method, an ethnographic field work. In depth interviews, participant observation, focus group discussions and document analysis were utilized to collect data. The study was mainly informed by postcolonial theory, supported by Ndau epistemologies. The findings indicate that chimazambi is central in the lives of the Ndau people. It has been revealed that chimazambi was well known for entertaining herd boys. The study further discovered that some identified elders were engaging chimazambi for spiritual healing purposes. Christianity, modernization and migration were discovered to be the major effects responsible for the decline of chimazambi. The study recommends the revitalization of the instrument through digitalizing, archiving and commercializing it. There is also a need to include the instrument in various modern ceremonies and festivals.