Creativity from Chaos

Meaning-making through Musiking in Mozambique

Abstract

Though Mozambique experienced almost twenty years of a bitter 'civil war,’ it is remarkable to note that ethnic conflict in this incredibly diverse nation has, up until recently, not characterized the country’s political scene. However, since 2017, regional, religious, and ethnic tensions have erupted in an ‘Al-Shabab’ style insurgency that continues to spread from Cabo Delgado in Northern Mozambique, resulting in an IDP population topping one million people. Researchers note that internal grievances among disenfranchised youth are at the heart of this conflict. Music arts play an integral role in shaping emotions, constructing memories, and affecting patterns of thought and changes in behavior. As such, they are often the principle means for disseminating information, mobilizing resources, and raising social consciousness via the media. The change potential evident in music is clear, and music and the arts can and must be applied to situations in which NGOs and governmental agencies have been challenged or unsuccessful. Using a capability approach, founded on applied ethnomusicological concepts of cultural participation and empowerment, “Cura da Criatividade” (Creativity Cure) project was developed, encouraging youth to share their stories of loss and to creatively communicate their story to a broader audience through ‘musiking’ together. This project teaches Mozambican youth to be the voice of positive change and social healing in their communities. Music arts can become a means of empowerment and a form of expressive agency, allowing youth to voice a counternarrative of hope and build a bridge for interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding. (246 words)