The sacredness of a woman is portrayed with ingenuity in the song Nhemamusasa as rendered by Chiwoniso Mararire and Ambuya Beauler Dyoko. Maraire highlights a woman with a broken support system and the impact on her child Nhemamusasa- Usaringe zuva nhamo ichauya- do not observe the sun because suffering will come your way. The child is parentified, taking on the role of ensuring his security and welfare, something that should be the role of parents. The duality of the meaning of words in Shona comes into play in that same statement. It can mean the observance of the sun, something a kid can be fascinated by. It can also refer to a lazy attitude. Nhemamusasa may be a lazy grown-up, and the song warns of the consequences of laziness. When you watch the sunrise to its setting, you can be sure that poverty will visit you.
Hanzvadzi yamai vako zvaisingarime- since your mother’s brother does not till the land, is another example of the portrayal of the sacredness of the woman in that she is identified through her child. This is some deifying the status of a woman because by identifying her through her child, society is somehow praising her for fulfilling her role in reproduction. Therefore it is an honor to call a woman by the name of her child because then she qualifies to be entered into the Hall of Fame of Womanhood. The other meaning is that the child Nhemamusasa has a lazy uncle, which puts Nhemamusasa in a difficult position because he is left bereft of role modeling. Traditionally, uncles- hanzvadzi yamai- train and model proper ways of living, which nephews can glean from. However, society must try to fill that dysfunctional gap when the uncle fails in that role.
Yet another interpretation of hanzvadzi yamai vako zvaisingarime could be environmental. Gwenyambira could have employed euphemisms to refer to plunderers in parts of Zimbabwe during Mfecane. This was the period of northward migration from present-day South Africa into surrounding countries, fleeing the tyranny of Shaka Zulu. While initial raiding among Shona had been carried out by Nguni subgroups, local groups, some of whom became known as Dumbuseya, raided and plundered other Shona communities. Gwenyambira may refer to the raiding groups as people who do not till the land- hanzvadzi yamai vako zvaisingarime.
We ask ourselves why there is no specific woman mentioned. This is because the Mai- Mother imagery symbolizes a system that, if destabilized, negatively impacts those dependent on her. Whether Gwenyambira is conscious of this depth of meaning is something that his audience can determine. Mother Earth needs to be stable to nurture those dependent on her.
Ambuya Beauler Dyoko takes it further to portray the impact of the failure of Motherhood or Womanhood. Roverera museve, hanzvadzi yamai vako zvaisingarime. The mood is tense, involving close combat in battle, most likely involving assegais. Like Maraire, Dyoko also hanzvadzi yamai vako zvaisingarime. Soldiers cannot engage in a sedentary lifestyle if they are fighting. In this case, the mother’s brothers do not till the land. Instead of an outright mention of the raiding and destabilization, the impact of conflict on soft targets, the women and children, is portrayed by Gwenyambira. On a broader scale, any disturbance of the environment negatively impacts those dependent on it for survival. Dyoko makes the audience aware that the song Nhemamusasa is about conflict at a particular moment in the history of the Shona people, and the quality of life deteriorates. Dyoko, in her capacity, then points out one sector of society which takes a heavy hit- the quality of brides- Kuroora, roora, ndaroora nguruve. Yes, I have married, but she is a pig/ swine. A swine wallows in the mire, as does a young woman without training. It is no speculation why the woman is given the image of a swine. Disruption in the community does not allow for traditional training of young girls by elders to prepare them for marriage and motherhood.
