ZIMBABWE-CULTURE: THE 'COCA COLA SYNDROME'
HARARE, Dic 28 (IPS) - THE YOUNGSTERS HANGING OUT OUTSIDE TACOS NIGHTCLUB IN THE ZIMBABWEAN CAPITAL COULD HAVE BEEN YOUTHS IN ANY U.S. BIG CITY, JUDGING FROM THEIR DRESS.
THEY IDOLISE MICHAEL JACKSON, LOVE LIONEL RITCHIE AND GROOVE TO L.L. COOL J, A POPULAR U.S. RAP GROUP.
AND THEY ARE NOT ALONE. WESTERN DRESS AND MUSIC HAVE GRIPPED THIS SOUTHERN AFRICAN NATION IN WHAT SOME CALL THE 'COCA COLA SYNDROME,' LEADING DOOMSAYERS TO WARNING THAT ZIMBABWEAN CULTURE IS IN DANGER.
NORTH AMERICAN MODES AND MUSIC "APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THE YOUTH,"SAYS SOLOMON MUTSVAIRO, AFRICAN LANGUAGES SPECIALIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE. "YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT BUT THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT IS. NOTE HOW COCA COLA HAS BECOME A WORLD DRINK."
ACCORDING TO THE ACADEMIC, "CULTURE IS DYNAMIC AND YOU CANNOT EXPECT US TO RETAIN OUR ORIGINAL WAY OF LIFE GIVEN THAT WE ARE MOVING AHEAD."
"HOWEVER WE NEED TO BLEND OUR CULTURE WITH GOOD ELEMENTS OF OTHER CULTURES WITHOUT DIVERTING FROM THE MAINSTREAM," ADDS MUTSVAIRO.
A CENTURY OF BRITISH COLONISATION MADE SURE THAT THE ANGLO- SAXON INFLUENCE REMAINED STRONG IN THIS SOUTHERN AFRICAN NATION. HOWEVER, IT IS AMERICAN CULTURE WHICH IS GAINING MOMENTUM HERE.
"THE AMERICANS HAVE EMBARKED ON A NEW NEO-COLONIALISM DRIVE AND HAVE GAINED INFLUENCE EVERYWHERE,"SAYS MUTSVAIRO.
SIMBA MAKONI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE OFFICIAL ZIMBABWE NEWSPAPERS GROUP, BLAMES THE EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR FAILING TO IMBUE ZIMBABWEANS WITH PRIDE AND CONFIDENCE IN THEIR OWN CULTURE AND EVEN THEIR LANGUAGES.
"WHAT WORRIES ME MOST IS THE TOTAL ABANDONMENT OF OUR VERNACULAR LANGUAGES AND BASIC CULTURAL NORMS BY THE POST- INDEPENDENCE GENERATION," SAID MAKONI, A FORMER SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) EXECUTIVE SECRETARY.
"WE HEAR NO VOICES OF CONCERN OR PROTEST AS THE LYRICS OF OUR LOCAL MUSIC START IN SHONA, SWITCH TO ENGLISH AND BACK TO SHONA (THE MAIN LOCAL LANGUAGE HERE) IN ONE SENTENCE.
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