Following on from the ‘Proud to Be’ assembly, I would like to share with you and inform you on my Zimbabwean heritage. Zimbabwe is a country in the South of Africa typically known for its beautiful landscape and wildlife. The main languages spoken in Zimbabwe are English, Shona and Ndebele but there are 16 different official Zimbabwean languages. The name “Zimbabwe” itself, stems from a Shona term for Great Zimbabwe, a medieval city named Masvingo whose remains are now a protected site in Zimbabwe. “Zimbabwe” derives from dzimba-dza-mabwe, translated from the Karanga dialect of Shona as “houses of stones”.
My favourite part of my heritage is the cuisine, with my favourite dish being Sadza. Maize/Cornmeal is mixed with water and cooked to produce a thick paste which is called Sadza. This Sadza is usually eaten as lunch or dinner with sides such as gravy and spinach and I prefer mine with chicken and spring greens. It is also commonly eaten with curdled milk, known as “lacto”. Other foods such as rice, pasta, and potato-based foods (french fries and mashed potato) also make up part of Zimbabwean cuisine.
Another aspect of Zimbabwean heritage that I find particularly enjoyable is the tradition of ululation. Ululation is not exclusively Zimbabwe’s culture, but an activity practised in many other parts of the world including North Africa, West Africa and the Middle East. Ululation is a long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound resembling a howl. Usually in Zimbabwe it is used by women to give praises and celebrations at certain occasions, such as at weddings. When good news is delivered it is a very exciting and exuberant sound to hear, which is why I am so proud of it.
Zimbabwe’s music is one that is divergent in its sound and represents much more than a simple rhythm – some of its music has been used as a symbol of hope for the Zimbabweans who were looking to gain independence from Rhodesia. Musical instruments play a colossal role in Zimbabwean music with the mbira (the thumb piano) being an integral instrument. The mbira is classified as a lamellaphone and is created from things found in nature, such as a wooden board and tines. It is frequently played in a deze (a round calabash resonator) which amplifies the sound using shells or bottle caps placed around the edges.
There are many more interesting parts to Zimbabwean culture, and it is too vast for me to boil down all the different aspects of it into a single article. I hope you enjoyed learning about my heritage as I picked out, what I believe are, its core elements to share with you. If you want to learn more about Zimbabwean heritage, or any other country’s heritage, there is a lot of information on Google and YouTube that is helpful.
