Call for Traditional Music Category at 24th Nama

Milcah Maigurira

SEO Title: Dzimbahwe Institute Petitions NACZ for Traditional Music Category at 24th Nama Awards

Meta Description: The Dzimbahwe Institute of Heritage and Culture has urged NACZ and Nama to introduce a standalone traditional music category ahead of the 24th awards in Harare.

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The Dzimbahwe Institute of Heritage and Culture has formally petitioned the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) secretariat to introduce a standalone traditional music category, arguing that the move is critical to safeguarding Zimbabwe’s indigenous artistic heritage. The petition comes ahead of the 24th NAMA awards ceremony scheduled for Saturday at the Harare International Conference Centre, one of the country’s premier event venues.

Institute executive director Milcah Maigurira confirmed that a formal submission was lodged ahead of this year’s ceremony. She described the initiative as “born out of deep respect” for Nama and its long-standing role in shaping and reflecting Zimbabwe’s artistic identity.

“For years, we have observed that while Nama celebrates contemporary and urban art forms extensively, the foundation of our nation’s cultural identity specifically traditional music and heritage arts is consistently relegated to the sidelines,” Maigurira said.

She noted that there is currently no dedicated competitive category exclusively recognising traditional music forms and indigenous instruments such as the mbira, marimba, hosho, and ngoma. According to the institute, grouping diverse heritage expressions into broader categories limits visibility, prestige, and opportunities for practitioners.

“We are simply requesting that Nama elevates traditional music to a distinct and competitive category with the same prestige and resources as other genres,” she added.

In a letter addressed to NACZ and seen by Southerton Business Times, the institute outlined several motivations behind the proposal. These include formally recognising master musicians and instrument makers, incentivising youth participation in indigenous arts, and affirming the centrality of traditional culture in Zimbabwe’s evolving creative economy.

The letter argues that establishing a “Best Traditional Music” category would align Nama more closely with its mandate of promoting and preserving Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage. The institute has also offered its technical expertise in developing criteria, judging frameworks, and eligibility guidelines for the proposed award.

Maigurira said the petition further seeks clarity on the criteria and processes used to introduce new award categories. She stressed that the campaign is rooted in equitable representation rather than preferential treatment.

“This is not a request for preference, but a call for fairness in recognising art forms that define who we are as a people,” she said.

The proposal has garnered support from sections of the arts community. Members of the Barikira B Kreative Group described the initiative as timely within ongoing debates on cultural preservation. Mbira player and broadcaster Shumbakadzi also backed the call, noting that she has long advocated for greater recognition of Zimbabwean traditional music on major award platforms.

At the time of publication, NACZ and Nama organisers had not publicly responded to the submission. The development has intensified debate among cultural stakeholders over how national arts platforms balance contemporary trends with heritage preservation.

Traditional music category Nama