The Effectiveness of the Internet Media In Marketing Zimbabwean Female Musicians, A Case Study of the Harare International Festival of the Arts

ABSTRACT To ascertain the effectiveness of the internet media in marketing Zimbabwean female musicians, the Researcher engaged female musicians and HIFA officials in face to face interviews, questionnaires, as well as in document analysis of their websites, social networks and blogs. Results showed a new media form that offers ownership, control and a communicative platform for women to say and portray themselves in the manner they appreciate and empowers female musicians. The information gathered enlightened the Researcher on how technology in the modern age liberates women if Zimbabwe and other African countries provide real access and affordability of the medium. The Researcher found the espoused mobile internet being introduced by Econet Zimbabwe as one of the major steps to ensure this. This effectively liberates one half of humanity, “the women” including female musicians. Keywords: Effectiveness, Gender and Internet Media INTRODUCTION Many researchers have disagreed on how exactly the media influences our lives and careers but most agree that the media impacts on behavior and attitudes. Tuchman (1998) says, “the media has a decided impact in both individuals and social institutions”. It is in these institutions and individuals that also behavioral expectations, duties and roles are allocated genders. This has been extended to specific jobs with the music industry as no exception. The history of women musicians’ in the Zimbabwean music industry has not been without struggles. In Zimbabwe, traditionally women could sing at funerals, in church choir or community choir. A female who went on stage accompanied by western instruments was brushed aside and branded ‘loose’ by society. As Makwenda (2005:14) notes, “female musicians however form the 1930s to the 1960s championed their own liberation in the show business despite the negative attitudes by the society whence their came from”. Female musicians have played a significant role in the establishment of the music industry in Zimbabwe despite their negative portrayal. Lina Mataka set the ball of jazz rolling in the African Townships where she sang with Sithembiso’s group. Evelyn Juba at the same time mesmerized the community halls with her husband Simon as the Merry Makers. In the 70s Harare at Mai Musodzi Hall, the main recreation venue for Africans, Susan Mapfumo’s voice made the Harare Mambos a household name and the 90s witnessed the rise of Chiwoniso Maraire in Mbira, Ivy Kombo in Gospel, Faith Mandipira, Dudu Manhenga and Prudence Katomeni in the Jazz circles. However, as Tuchman (1978:243) puts it, “female musicians are symbolically annihilated”. Tuchman further explains that this happens, “when a group of people are underrepresented or are not represented in the media” ibid. Although women have played their part in creating the Zimbabwean music industry, their roles and presentation in the media has been discriminatory as a result of their gender. Maleus (1998:76) says, “Women tend to be portrayed in roles that are trivialized, condemned and narrowly defined”. Pictures in the newspapers’ of female musicians have tended to brand them as sex tools and not real musicians. A good example is that of Sandra Ndebele in the Herald newspaper of 11 August 2007 titled, “Sandra woes crowd”. Sandra is pictured in a sexualized act and half naked enforcing the view that women ‘spice up the scene’. Worse still, as Nickol and Crooke (1978) say, in the United Nations and Decision Making; the Role of Women Report, “When any scheme succeeds, people tend to look around for a man to congratulate”. This is the situation that Zimbabwean female musicians are in as a new form of media, the internet, arises and as international events take shape in a globalised village. What then would change as a result of the medium, this research had to find out. LITERATURE REVIEW The Media The media (newspapers, radio, books, music e.t.c) “are not apart from social reality, passively reflecting and giving back to the world itself image, they are part of social reality, contributing to the contours and to the logic and direction of its development via the socially articulated way in which they shape our perceptions, Vambe (2006:67). This demonstrates that communication is mostly planned with intended and unintended objectives. This provision in the media makes it an ideological arena for gender, race and class struggles. In the media chain, McQuail (1987: 141) says, “questions have been asked on who communicates to whom, how does the communication take place and what are the consequences”. Windal et al (2006) further defines the media “in terms of the intensions of the communicator”. With intensions when sending information, the communicators would want to influence people directly by using any media channels available to them to drive their purposeful messages. We can conclude therefore that the, “sender of information has the power to determine what the audience may or may not get to know” Windal et al (2006). Implied here is that senders of information are interested parties, some unconsciously, concerned with shaping reality in particular ways in order to achieve certain ideological effects, gender discrimination included. Among other normative theories forwarded to explain the role of the media in the community, the Democratic Participant Theory, “ encourages the participation of human beings in the development process, irrespective of their class, gender, promoting groups and organizations to have their own media and that the media must exist for the audience” McQuail (1987:156). Allan (1998:120) says, “the media tells us about what is good and what is bad in society: it is a symbolic system that cultivates and regulates our perceptions”. In that sense the media acts as a stimuli and with time there is change in attitude and opinion change in the society. Therefore in the context of this study, by constructing new identity traits people should accept and guard jealously, the media would have engaged in the identity creation process. What it therefore means is that the media message tells people what to think about and feel about and by so doing it becomes an opinion leader and identity giver. Thus when Harare International Festival of the Arts website presents its female musicians, the website would be structuring issues that people should think about and consider. In that case the website acts as an opinion leader who sets the tone for the society. Gender in the Media Maleus (1998:45) says, “a persons gender influences not only their experience in the world, but also how they perceive and think about the world around them”. The gender roles of women have been historically expected to be tender, sympathetic, sexual, nurturing and emotional and Maleus (ibid) further notes that, “it is uncommon for those in the media to use these terms when describing females in the reports”. The issue of gender and the media can be broadly understood at two levels both implicating and affecting each other. These are the participation of women in decision making and expression in the media as well as women portrayal in the media. In the participation of women, at “the most basic level, women are under-represented in media institutions”, Maleus (1998:19). In the global media monitoring project participated by 71 countries, they reported that only 36% of journalists were women (www.womenissues.com). Gulling notes that, “the ones in the filed are not in decision making roles” (2004:112). Kwaramba supports this notion by saying that the, “top management are male in media houses and this perpetuates this disparity” (2001:84). Thus one can conclude the gender division of labor in media houses and of importance is what kind assignments are given to female journalists. Zhuwarara (1998:18) notes that, “few countries in Southern Africa have specific legal provisions that protect against gender discrimination”. He further notes that government intervention often focuses on licensing and ownership as opposed to structures and practices within the institutions of the media. With no legal protection and government intervention, “this contributes to the continued marginalization of women themes in the media” Zhuwarara (ibid). However, with new media technologies like the internet, control of the media and ownership become less important. As Levine notes, “one thing is certain that nobody owns the internet and nobody funds it”. Women in the news are most likely to featured in stories about accidents, natural disasters or domestic violence than in stories about their professional abilities” Kwaramba (2000:16). A good example comes from the Herald on two talented musicians, Chiwoniso Maraire and Andy Brown. Coverage focused on sex issues than the negative impact of their breakup on their artistic product. McQuail notes the “beauty before brains” concerns in issues involving women especially female musicians. In 2000 the Association of Women Journalists studies showed that only 18% of the stories in the media quote women and female related stories came barely to 10% of the total stories. To add more, as Kwaramba (2000:143) notes, “the dissemination of negative images in the media on women affects their confidence, mobility and eventually access and participation in the public spheres. Zimbabwean Female Musicians in the Media During the 1930s, Africans left their communal homes in search of jobs in the towns and in the process a dynamic urban culture emerged. Africans were increasingly exposed to the western way of living and their music changed. Little information is available to show how women really came out in the media of that period: the Rhodesia Herald, the Sunday Mail and Bulawayo Chronicle. However the Rhodesia Herald of September 12, 1954 as seen in Makwenda (2005:61) has a headline in the entertainment section, “women musicians set the ball of jazz rolling”. Maleus (1998:48) says, “The people who read on television and radio were European, the people who wrote the papers were European, the pictures that came out in the magazines were European. Could this be the reason why female musicians got little or no representation in the media? Chitando (2000:90) says that, “Music was associated with uneducated women was the notion during that time”. Could this be the reason why female musicians got little or no representation in the media? Chitando (2000:103) says, “the emergency of more black women as musicians in Zimbabwe requires further examination”. “Research into how this industry marginalizes women and the challenges faced by emerging artist’s needs to be undertaken” ibid. The images of women in popular songs also require close attention. When Willom Tight’s song denigrated urban women by insisting ndinoda wangu wekumaruzevha, handingawani wemudhorobha (I want a wife from the country not the urban wives), he succeeded in perpetuating the stereotypical representation of women as loose and dangerous. It is with the appreciation of the history of women musicians in Zimbabwe, the struggle for recognition and fair representation of female musicians who have at many points proved capable and even better than men, that this research set out to find how the new found resource called INTERNET and the involvement of women at International festivals, has changed the plight of female musicians and how effective it is for the upcoming generations of female musicians. METHODOLOGY According to the Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia, a research design provides the glue that holds the research project together. Sullivan and Rassel (1982:479) says, “research design is a general or specific plan that guides decisions as to what data to gather, from who, when, how to collect the data and analyse the information. Sullivan and Rassel (ibid) further note that, “all research in social sciences should be directed towards answering research questions about the characteristics, relationships, patterns or influences in some social phenomena”. Once appropriate data has been found and gathered the researcher analyses the data to see if the research questions have been fully answered. The researcher employed a qualitative research design. However in the case of data analysis, the researcher also employed aspects of quantitative design as the Wikipedia says, “it is difficult to argue for the best design but it must be reasonable to adopt a research design that works best for the research topic, for variables and for participants selected in the research”. The qualitative design was chosen mainly because it, “illuminates and clarify the meaning of social actions and situations” McLeod (2003). A quantitative method was also used to analyse data in figures mainly from the document analysis The researcher used, as a qualitative method, a case study for the research as an, “examination of a unit of interest such as a group (McLeod: 2003). The researcher chose Harare International festival of the Arts as the case study. The researcher used questionnaires in the research. Open ended and closed ended questions were used. Pre coded questions were chosen because they offer easy analysis and in a case study where many respondents are involved, pre coded questions served time. The researcher used structured or guided interviews in the research in acquiring results that would form a basis for generalization. This benefitted the research in that with face to face between the researcher and the interviewee, the use of body languages was captured. Interviews also gave the researcher the opportunity to clearly explain the questions to the respondents. The respondents were interviewed in Harare. Document analysis of the respondents online activities were also done by the researcher. Document analysis was used with the other two data collection methods for triangulation purposes. Documents analysed included the HIFA website, female musician’s blog sites and Facebook profiles. Purposive sampling is a select subset of population under study for the purpose of obtaining relevant information. The idea behind the sample is to choose a select population that is relevant enough such that the researcher can make generalizations about the whole population that the sample is a representative of. Questionnaires also have an aspect of anonymity which, the researcher feels some respondents might need as issues that deal with women are usually of such a nature. The questionnaires were answered by female musicians. DISCUSSION The information collected from the questionnaires showed that 60% of the respondents were aged between 15 and 25 years. 30% of the respondents were aged between 26 and 40 years whilst only 10% were aged above 41%. The data showed that the young are likelier to appreciate the internet as a media platform aided with the need for appropriate technology to access the medium. Technology and age are intertwined variables. Data collected from the questionnaire further showed that 30% had been using the internet for less than a year. Half the total number of respondents, 50% showed that they had been using the medium for more than a year but less than 5 years. Only 20% of the respondents had used the internet had used the internet for more than 5 years. Until recently, the internet in Zimbabwe has been a tool used by the few who could afford the charges and the necessary equipment. However with better relations between Zimbabwe, China and Japan, the computers required have been made available. This data give highlights on the appreciation of the internet and how the respondents perceive the medium. Use of the medium for more than one year shows an initial appreciation of the medium and a positive attitude on its relevance. Using the internet for more than five years shows trust, understanding and need of the medium. More data gathered showed the respondents who owned either websites or blog sites. The information found showed that only 20% of the respondents owned websites whilst 80% owned blogsites. This shows that the female musician’s part of this research owned something permanent on the internet either a website or blog where they could post and update whatever they deem relevant. However the 20% of websites showed the high cost of owning one in Zimbabwe especially when host fees are paid in foreign currencies. Only established musicians with international links can be said to represent this 20%. The data gathered showed on the benefits female musicians had received by using the internet. Two main points were noted: more attendance of their shows at HIFA and an increase in the number of international opportunities they got as a result of using the internet. The audience that attends HIFA comes from as far as USA, Europe and Asia. The first world has an already developed internet forum as Zimbabwean female musicians use the medium they are included into the same forums as the first world. Locally, the middle to upper class has the huge access to the internet and they are the ones that attend HIFA which triangulates the data that more patrons come to shows. With facilities like Chat, Google Groups and Facebook, it is evident that Zimbabwean female musicians joined and participated on the activities that had the same interest as HIFA and thus met up with new artists which led to collaborations. Also by appearing on the HIFA website, the female musicians were exposed to the global arts community who got interested and organized new opportunities for the Zimbabwean female musicians. Both responses from the respondents do compliment what Maleus (1998) says, “the use of the internet through which information can be spread would be one way it will aid development”. Respondents gave a range of responses on how the Internet had changed the way female musicians were represented in the media. On top of having a new platform to express themselves by themselves, female musicians said it was now better to have more platforms to reach their audiences. Previously it had only been the newspaper and radio that connected them to their audience but now the internet had made it better in the sense that it was more personal. This came out as they cited the email and comments to posts on social networks. With the Internet, the research found out it was possible to tackle the issue of media ownership as female musicians communicate directly with their audiences creating the image they want to be portrayed in. This went on to add value on the effectiveness of the Internet Media in that, the power is no longer in the hands of the few but it is now shared. This fact is bolstered by other results that showed that most of the respondents owned either a website, social network account, email address or blogsite on the internet. The questionnaires also gathered information on frequency and point of access for internet by the female musicians. 70% of the respondents use the medium more than three times a week and 50% access the medium from arts organizations. Indeed in Harare, HIFA and many other arts organizations do offer free internet to artists. However pressure on the facilities might explain the three times a week usage against the 20% daily access. Usage might include regular checking of mails, commentary on discussions on social networks and reading of online editions of newspapers. It still costs $1.00 USD to access internet for 45 minutes in Zimbabwe. An average African survives on less than a dollar a day. The data gathered therefore shows a medium that is relatively supported to be accessed yet unaffordable to many. The response shows the downside of the medium in that in as much as it might be useful and effective I marketing as proved before, it can be undermined by a limited access and availability which creates a situation where those with financial power will use the medium befitting more and more leaving out the poor in development. As Chari (2003:184) notes, “people who do not have access to a medium in a culture that relies on that medium will be disadvantaged and will not be able to participate in the development of that culture”. This negatively relates to the effectiveness of the medium as a few selected examples will be benefit and the rest which usually is the majority will be left behind in annihilation in the same group. Some respondents also commented on the availability of the internet on cellular phones that began in Zimbabwe recently introduced by ECONET Zimbabwe. Respondents also pointed on the introduction of wireless connectivity by Africa Online as technologies that make the medium faster impacting on the time spent online and the money spent. Having internet on mobile phones will greatly improve its access to many individuals including female musicians. In the interviews, the research found out that the internet was to a musician a liberator as it meant bypassing the middleman who in the past would get the music product to the audience. The internet as James Tichawangana said, the musicians can also be their own promoter, publicist or sales person. This is achieved by utilizing sites that sale music online. In Zimbabwe, Gramma Records is the main recording company such that even on radio most of the music played is from Gramma Records, in most music shops, the music sold is from Gramma Records. This has given Gramma Records some form monopoly over the industry. If Gramma Records refuse your music, your career is over. However this has changed as the Internet, as mentioned before is a marketing platform. James Tichawangana went on to mention that the Internet Media had given female musicians the opportunity to rid themselves of Gramma Records in as far as the marketing of their music is concerned. As Chari says, “the monopoly situation in the music industry has meant that the dominant companies have had their way having control of the market for years” (2003:132). Although recording companies including marketing in the recording contracts, “the activity is minimized to cut expenses” said James. With the functions available on the internet there is evidence that female musicians have at their disposal a marketing space and options that can be used to compliment the little that recording companies like Gramma records are doing. In response to one of the research question in this research, the internet can be a resource that gives female musicians the opportunity to cut reliance on recording companies for marketing and promotion of their music. Maria Wilson of HIFA gave out information on the audience of marketing carried out on the Internet for female musicians during HIFA. Mrs. Wilson responded that, as compared with other forms of media in Zimbabwe, the audience for the internet was still relatively low. From the web statistics they received from their web managers, it showed that most of their traffic came form Western Countries with an average viewing of four pages over eight minutes whilst from Zimbabwe it was an average of one page in less than a minute. This data gave light on the power of other media forms in Zimbabwe compared to the internet. This information also related to the availability, access and affordability of the medium in Zimbabwe. Asked on the specific way they marketed female musicians on their website, Mrs. Wilson responded by giving HIFA’s use of professional photographers. The interviewee said, “A picture is worth a thousand words and we use a specially photographed picture that brands female musicians as hot, with an aura of feminity but also a serious artist”. The interviewee supported this by giving the researcher a picture of Chiwoniso Maraire thay had for their 2008 festival. A document analysis of the picture showed a closed up female musician close to a microphone on stage, sweating and her dread locks tire into pony tail with her face very emotional as in a trance. The picture gives out the musician’s beauty as a woman, the sweat showing the hard stage work, and the facial expression shows the feeling a musician gives out when performing something deep from the soul. In a few words, a female professional musician, an artist of great depth enjoying her work. SUMMARY A new media form. The internet has arisen to the fore of Zimbabwean media and the previously marginalized female musicians in Zimbabwe have embraced this resource creating self images in marketing themselves and even extending to management complimented by the efforts of arts organizations like the Harare International Festival of the Arts. A document analysis of two online sites, one owned by Dudu Manhenga and another by HIFA brings out the idea of a platform owned and controlled by musicians and arts organizations where they control the voice and make decisions as to what is supposed to be seen, hear and how it is supposed to be seen and heard. The use of texts, pictures and videos has allowed the owner such power. Questionnaires showed the age group 15 to 25 years as embracing this medium for the past three years using it for emailing, uploading and updating their blogs, joining and chatting on news groups and improving their communication behaviors with others in distant and different cultures. They now receive more positive receptions and audiences at HIFA and more opportunities abroad. Interviews have proved that there is room and potential for growth on the audience and service provision of this medium in Zimbabwe with newspapers now also being available online. There is now a systematic approach in the use of the media by HIFA and female musicians as the electronic, print and broadcasts are complimenting each other in getting the message there. The result has been a professional female musician with an aura of beauty working with international festivals. However the effectiveness of this medium can be undermined in Zimbabwe and Africa if we do not discuss and be active in sorting out its availability, access and affordability as it must the cheapest form of communication. As shown also by answering research questions, the internet is very effective as it can combine many options for marketing giving them to female musicians but if the musicians lack the will and right attitude, less is achieved and changed in the plight of Zimbabwean female musicians. RECOMMENDATIONS The researcher recommends that: • Female musicians who have achieved success by marketing themselves on this platform must also work with emerging female musicians to inculcate the appreciation of the medium into them and let them understand that it goes beyond just marketing but also management and giving themselves a space to challenge and denounce any social ills that work against their careers as musicians. • HIFA should improve the facilities on their site to include online ticketing, live streaming of activities’ and live forums which will inturn bring more audience to their site thus marketing female musicians more effectively • Arts organizations in Zimbabwe must also move into other marginalized areas to involve more musicians in using the internet. The medium must be used by more musicians to make it worthy a communication platform. • The Zimbabwe government should compliment efforts by mobile telecommunication companies and reduce tariffs which will impact on the total amount charge for internet by Zimbabwean locals. REFERENCES Allan, F. (1998) Spreading the News. A Guide to Media Reform Russel Press. Nottingham, UK Chari et al (2003) Media and Communication in Zimbabwe and Africa Zimbabwe Open University. Harare Chitando. E. (2000) Singing Culture: A Study of Gospel Music in Zimbabwe Nordiska Afrikainstitutet. Norway Giele. J. (1998) Gender and Sex Roles. In the Handbook of Sociology. Smessler N. SAGE: Newbury Park. California Kwaramba. A (1997) Popular Music and Society Oslo Department of Media and Communication: University of Oslo Press Levine et al (2000) The Internet for Dummies 7th Edition. IDG Books Worldwide Inc: Foster City USA Makwenda. J. J. (2005) Zimbabwe Township Music Mambo Press. Gweru Maleus. 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