THE INFLUENCE OF AFRICAN ORAL ART FORMS IN RAISING CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS IN OLIVER MTUKUDZI’S ‘PINDIRAI’.

Abstract

Background:

The need for different stakeholders, particularly in developing nations, to promote climate change awareness has been emphasized by scholars and environmental activists. Yet, musicians appear to be overlooked in these calls despite their influence in society. The article presents an analysis of “Pindirai”, a song that was composed and sung by the legendary Zimbabwean musician, Oliver Mtukudzi, to show how it presents the effects of anthropogenic climate change through traditional African oral art forms. 

 Methods: 

Afrocentricity served as a theoretical lens through which we examined ‘Pindirai’ because it rejected the claim that Europe is the origin of knowledge which was perpetuated by Europe’s global dominance for many years. In addition, critical discourse analysis (CDA), a qualitative means of gathering data, was used to examine words’ frequency, usage, and implications in the song under study. CDA enabled the study to infer meanings and motivation behind the way messages are encoded which facilitated interpretations based on the context.

 Results: 

It was observed that, through thought-provoking rhetorical devices such as invocation, rhetorical figures, proverbs, and symbolism among others, Mtukudzi departs from the victimhood narrative by giving agency to Africans whom the singer calls on to revert to their traditions which serve as a manual for life. 

 Conclusions:

Mtukudzi is successful in urging Africans, using their language, to own up for their part in causing climate change by preserving natural resources. Much as scientists have flagged human activities in Western countries as the main cause of climate change, Mtukudzi is commended for urging Africans to act responsibly.

 Recommendations:

African governments need to provide resources to communicate climate-related initiatives and facilitate the participation of indigenous people in endeavors that seek to sustain livelihoods in the face of adverse effects of climate change.