Coventry launches Zim Music Strategy

By The NewsDay | Jun. 2, 2022 | 3 Min read

Speaking at the launch, Coventry appealed to creatives and stakeholders to support the strategy meant to industrialise the music sector by transforming it into one of the country’s economic drivers.

BY AGATHA CHUMA/TENDAI SAUTA YOUTH, Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Kirsty Coventry yesterday launched the Zimbabwe Music Strategy 2022-27 at a colourful ceremony in Harare.

“The strategy is set to firmly position the music sector as a key contributor to national economic development and employment creation. Music will thus be a critical gear in the matrix of attaining an upper-middle income society that is spelt out in Vision 2030, as well as in implementing the sustainable development goals,” she said.

“It is also going to optimise the environment that will allow the artistes to be successful. I would like to thank Unesco experts Yarri Kamara (Burkina Faso) and Farai Mpfunya (Zimbabwe) and the whole team behind this strategy for successfully coming up with a document at the end of the day. Now it is time for implementation.

“We know that our music sector faces different challenges and we believe that this strategy is talking to many and coming up with our own solutions to ensure that these problems are not just fixed, but have a sustainable solution and a way forward. I am really confident that this strategy is going to work and transform the music sector and it will add value to the talents that we already have.”

Coventry added that music was a tool for building social cohesion and peace and for marketing Zimbabwe’s image.

She also called on the corporate world, development partners, agencies and educational institutions to support the initiative.

Multi-award winning artiste, Nutty O, who was present at the launch, said as musicians from Zimbabwe, they should be equipped to be ready to tackle and handle the challenges ahead.

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Said producer and sound engineer MacDonald “Mac Dee” Chidavaenzi: “For starters, I think it has brought so much to our attention regarding our role towards making our industry a more viable industry that can actually become formalised and bring things that are actually better.

“Right now, we are operating in an industry that is informal without structures where people do as they please and we cannot even utilise laws which govern the industry to our advantage because we actually play a bigger part in causing problems so this strategy is an eye opener for us to pay attention and formalise these things that have been treated as nonentities.”

Music producer Clive “Mono” Mukundu said: “I am happy that we are now realising that talent alone is not enough and this strategy is everything. So as a music producer, it gives me hope that we are going somewhere because as of late, everything has been stagnant. So it gives me hope that we are now moving in the right direction.

“I know that most artistes do not like to attend workshops, but I suggest they should host workshops, where they enlighten each other about this strategy as well as having awareness campaigns on social media platforms.”