dyton mupawaenda
Arts Reporter
A Zimbabwean scholar Vimbai Chamisa used Sungura maestro Alick Macheso’s music for her Doctor of Philosophy Degree thesis with the University of South Africa.
A video shared on several social media platforms shows Chamisa being conferred with a PHD at a UNISA graduation ceremony.
The title of her PHD thesis was – Sungura and Social Identity Narratives in Post-Colonial Zimbabwe: An Analysis of the Popularity of Alick Macheso’s Music.
“She investigates the musical and socio-political circumstances giving rise to the popularity of Alick Macheso and the Sungura genre. She applies theories of cultural capital and social identity to analyse a number of his musical texts and their reception history in contemporary post-colonial Zimbabwe. Drawing from interviews with Macheso and members of his audience, she develops a holistic overview of this iconic musician’s contribution to musical life as a highly visible representative of the Sungura genre,” a citation read out by one of the university’s academics says.
Macheso’s handlers say the sungura ace’s music is making a great impact as tertiary students are now using it in their research.
“It’s an honour when researchers notice the impact of our music and it gives us the zeal to go the extra mile.
“Many researchers have been contacting us carrying out their studies and we can’t deny them since we are now a big institution for the people,” said Macheso’s publicist, Tich Makahamadze.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter