Zimbabwean music has a rich past that often lies forgotten. From the traditional sounds the country birthed before colonisation, to the contemporary sounds of post independence.
While a lot more work needs to be done to document our musical heritage, there are a select few films that have already taken on the task. Ranging from the 1930s to the 2010s, checkout our selection of Zimbabwean music documentaries you have to watch on YouTube:
‘Zimbabwe: Music With A Past’ from BBC’s ‘Under African Skies’ (1989)
BBC’s ‘Under African Skies’ documentary was a celebration of the new sounds of Africa. This five part series looks at the popular music of Mali, Ethiopia, Algeria, Zimbabwe and Zaire. The episode on Zimbabwe was particularly insightful and it features the likes of Cde Chinx, Oliver Mtukudzi and Lovemore Majaivana.
You can watch it here.
The Chamhembe Story (2020)
The history of Zimbabwean music is incomplete without mentioning arguably one of the most pivotal and impactful eras ever. Some like to refer to this time as the urban grooves era and some simply call it “pakauya vapfana vemaCD”. At the centre of this time however is Chamhembe, it’s the peak of what this era embodies. In this multi part series SoProfound interviews some of the key people who made Chamhembe – Leonard Mapfumo, Roki, Stunner, Mafriq, Take 5 and more
You can watch it here.
Zimbabwe Township Music (1992)
Focusing on the period from the 1930s to the 1960s, the Zimbabwe Township Music documentary is an exploration of age old popular music. The award winning documentary was produced and directed by Joyce Jenje Makwenda. An award winning journalist/producer and artist, with more than 30 years of working experience covering areas of early urban culture, music, politics, education, religion, media, fashion, sexual (taboos) and cultural issues and women’s histories in Zimbabwe.
You can watch it here.
Zimdancehall – Sound Of The Ghetto Youth
From the mid 2000s Zimdancehall rose as a dominant sound on Zimbabwe’s music landscape. Propelled by home studios and raw lyricism that captured the daily lives of the Zimbabwean youth, it defined more than 2 decades of Zimbabwean music. The Sound Of The Ghetto Youth documentary goes into the communities that created the music and offers up deeper insight into what Zimdancehall so influential.
You can watch it here.
Mbira Music: Spirit of the people
‘Mbira Music: Spirit of the people’ is a 90s documentary that explores the relationship between Mbira Music and Zimbabwean (Shona) Culture. It showcases striking scenes from the early years after independence and it features Zimbabwean music greats in the 80s: Cde Chinx, Oliver Mtukudzi, and Thomas Mapfumo among them.
You can watch it here.
