Under Currents of Mediated Celebrity Urban Culture in Zimbabwe

By Takura Zhangazha*

I am sure there are sociologists, social anthropologists, social psychologists and cultural studies experts that are examining emerging urban cultures in Zimbabwe in great detail.  I am only writing on it in relation to its immediate occurrence and mediation.

I am focusing mainly on the urban because it is historically the most rapid in shifting its character and popular appreciation. Mainly due to population density, easier communication and the general view that ‘urban life’ represents arrival at what would be considered ‘individual success’ by many Zimbabweans.  Including those based in the rural areas. 

But in the construction of this emerging popular urban culture there are what I consider ‘structured causes for it.  And these are four-fold.  Namely, historical materialism/consumption culture associated with (post) colonial cities such as for example Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare.  Secondly, the challenge of cultural mimicry of other global cities that are presented to us in the global south as the definition of ‘normality’.  Thirdly, the evident defeat of local/contextual cultures to fit into the narrative of urban life. Fourthly, the advent of the mediation of social media and its algorithmic fortification of specific cultural tendencies that suit the aforementioned three key points.

I will expand on each point below.

In the first instance there is need to understand that contemporary urban cities and their attendant cultures are as complex as they are historical.  The set up of what we in popular parlance refer to as the ‘ghetto’ and our claims to authenticity as to having come from it are effectively colonial carry overs.  And our evident desire to depart from it as exemplified in popular music that is now referred to as ‘dancehall’, ‘urban grooves’ or ‘hip hop’ points to narratives of a desire for arrival in its exact opposite, the colonial ‘leafy suburb’.  In this, we suffer the vicissitudes of a capitalist/neo-liberal political economy that informs the functioning of the city and its class based work culture.  From housing through to access to water, electricity, education, health services and transport, the city annotates that access is for those that have the individual wealth as opposed to those that live in it.  This also included nascent African businessmen who while genuinely improving the well-being of their immediate neighborhoods never hid their ambition to mimic white private wealth as represented and culturally practiced in the suburbs. And as soon as independence allowed it, they took to it like ducks to water.

The end effect becomes the age old Marxian one of base and superstructure in creating cultural habits that give character to the above cited consumerism in popular culture. Inclusive of the fact that historically products such as beautification soaps, lotions and clothes, in their differentiation intentions, were first promoted culturally (musicians, churches, drama) in order for them to capture African hearts and minds. I am quite certain a number of us would remember Shimmer Chinodya’s famous line of how some of these would produce ‘Fanta faces and Coca-Cola legs’. 

This materialist ring to our popular urban culture has not gone away.  Hence sometimes with our contemporary musicians, artists and their cultural products we sometimes are not sure if they are promoting certain products or are genuinely doing their art.  Or how cross over marketing of cultural content to promote commodities also comes in tandem with promoting materialist lifestyles. As of colonial old. And as promoted by mainstream print and electronic media.

In the second instance, our popular urban cultures have come to mimic those of bigger and more recognized ‘global’ cities.  All of them, whether you pick New York, London, Kingston, Paris or one-time apartheid Johannesburg have essentially similar histories and backgrounds.  Either on the basis of racial discrimination or even in the contemporary, the maintenance of that same history’s legacy ghettos.  And in all of these cities, popular cultural productions tend to emanate from the downtrodden but captured by private and elite interests to reinvent poverty as something that if one individually can sing, draw, sculpture, trade or beautify themselves out of, then they will be deemed individually successful. And this is something also affecting ‘local entrepreneurs who once successful transfer their wealth to the ‘leafy’ suburbs.  And also become feted representatives of the same said downtrodden in the hope that there is a wealth trickledown effect.  Ditto most successful artists, entrepreneurs  are wont to remind all and sundry that they are from a ‘ghetto’.  But the same said ‘ghetto’ never really changes despite their individual successes. Its just basic popular culture as captured and commodified by an elite.

In the third instance, there is the worrying departure of local urban culture from local cultural origin contexts.  That is, a desire for recognition globally or beyond borders that limits the protection of the intellectual property of local cultural products.  So when an artists lauds his/her recognition in London as a major achievement, it points to the fact that local recognition is either individually despised or is of limited contribution to their individual success.  Whereas and on the contrary, if you try and use a song or content from an artist in the Global North, social media and other platforms will immediately call you out for plagiarism. 

Which brings me to my final point on the role that social media is playing in fortifying a new urban popular culture. All in relation to the above cited three major issues around the same. Namely, materialism/hedonism as informed by a neoliberal political economy framework, our cultural mimicry of others and in the third instance a loss of local content and context in a desire for global recognition. Social media, access to the internet and as still endorsed by mainstream media, has expanded these traits of our urban popular culture. 

Hence we sometimes cry more than the bereaved on behalf of celebrities that we only knew via social media and via a materialist urban political culture. And we claim them as our own while waiting for new social media stars to emerge and remind us that they left the ghetto. And tell us, in mediated algorithms that if we are like them, we may do so too. 

If we rethink the city, democratize it further and expand our own understanding of urban popular culture in order to give it greater value and meaning within our own contexts we probably would not be where we are at the moment.

*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity (takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)