Call for entries: Chimurenga music competition in Zimbabwe

The contest seeks to inform the general public about the history of Zimbabwe, and will run under the theme, Relieving the Chimurenga Inspirational Songs in Modern Day Zimbabwe.

The call is open to musicians aged between 16 and 40. Interested artists should submit a chimurenga song or remix between 30 seconds and five minutes in length.

Participants should email their songs in MP3 format to chimurenga@zbc.co.zw or powerfm.instakmusic@zbc.co.zw.

The submission deadline is 23 November.

The prizes are as follows:

• First prize – a car, recording contract and $2 000.
• Second prize – a car and $1 000.
• Third prize – $500.

Competition rules

Artists

• Participation is restricted to Zimbabwean artists only.
• Collaborations with non-Zimbabwean artists will not be considered. 
• Only one music submission per solo artist or group will be accepted.
• Songs should be either R&B (urban grooves), hip hop or Zimdancehall.
• All songs must be renditions of old revolutionary chimurenga songs or new compositions.
• Lyrics must not have hate speech, racial or tribal slurs, or be offensive in any manner.
• Any artist who knowingly violates the competition rules will be immediately disqualified and barred from future ZBC competitions.

Voters

• Votes will be accepted via the competition's voting lines and email, which will be provided.
• Votes are restricted to one per person/listener.
• Each vote can be used to elect five artists or groups.
• Voting is open to audiences worldwide.
• Chain messages are not allowed and will be counted as a single vote.
• Duplicate postings will be viewed as 'flooding' and will be deleted.

Adjudication process

• Adjudication will run from 24 to 30 November.
• The adjudicators will comprise musicians or persons from the entertainment industry who are recognised for their expertise, competence, integrity and fairness.
• Adjudicators will select the music that receives the most votes by the listeners.
• Verification of the adjudication process will be done by an independent auditor.
• First phase of voting will take place from 1 to 8 December.
• The second phase of voting will run from 9 to 16 December.

“INSTAK is commended for initiating this competition and giving our youth an opportunity to be part of history, remaking Zimbabwean musicians who date back to the actual liberation war,” Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa said. “Music has been such a part of our lives that there is no aspect of our daily living which can ignore music. African tradition has used music as a medium to engage our ancestry for spiritual connection.

“Music has also been a part of our sad moments like during times of bereavement. Collectively, Zimbabwe has also seen music being used as a tool for bringing the nation together for a given cause. The liberation struggle was also supported by music pieces which were composed for purposes of sending messages to different audiences and purposes.”

ZBC acting CEO Helliate Rushwaya said: “This competition is for the young artists that work very hard to raise our country flag high. It is a celebration and dedication to the old revolutionary songs that played a key role in inspiring Zimbabweans.”

Queries regarding the competition must be directed to ZBC public relations via email at pr@zbc.co.zw.