"Diffusionism" and its effects on traditional Music: a case study of contemporary traditional music by Victor Kunonga

Abstract

As the world is fast becoming a global village due to technological advancement, musical elements among other things have ceased to solely belong to their cultural proponents. Different musical cultures are merging in a process of diffusionism thereby forming rainbow musical cultures – musical hybrids representative of cultures of origin and the contexts of their adaptation. Worldwide, different factors drive the process of diffusionism among them colonialism, media, industrialisation, education, technology, religion and migration. In Zimbabwe, colonisation inaugurated diffusionism, driven by technology and industrialisation, two processes which are closely related to it. Hence musicians like any other artists have had to strike a balance between adapting to the changes brought about by colonialism at the same time retaining their original identity and sense of self. Colonisation led to the adoption of certain elements of western music such as four-part singing, instrumentation and performance context, and commerce into traditional music performance; which resulted in a hybrid music style popularly known in Zimbabwean music circles as “contemporary” traditional music. I contend that although diffusionism has impacted traditional music styles, they remain the anchor which informs the basis on which contemporary traditional music is made.