146BOOK REVIEWSaverage consumer or consumer protection. The reason, no doubt, is that the bookdeals specifically with law for the businessman. However, I believe it is necessaryat least to mention the probleois attached to the exercise of legal rights by theconsumer. It is clearly insufficient merely to point out the remedies which exsist asit is a trite fact that most consumers cannot afford to pursue the remedy throughthe courts, and must at best rely on bodies such as the Consumer Council ofZimbabwe for assistance in negotiating a remedy. Given the market, the book isprimarily aimed at some discussion of liens, and similar remedies might also havebeen expected, perhaps in a chapter devtoted to 'Remedies'.Zimbabweanizing the law cannot be achieved solely by relegating the SouthAfrican and English cases to the footnotes. This technique may show theZimbabwean aspects of many areas of the law but, regrettably, it does not give anaccurate picture of the whole compass of the law in a given area. HolmdeneBrickworks (Pvt)Ltd. v. Roberts Construction Co. Ltd., 1977 (3) S.A. 670 (A), isa seminal decision in both the development of damages in contract and theaddition remedies, yet it is consigned to a footnote in both the chapters in which itis mentioned.The chapter on Negotiable Instruments would, I am sure, have been greatlyimproved by the addition of illustrations. Although most people handle and issuenegotiable instruments constantly, they are, by and large, singularly ignorantabout them. This great mystery area of the law could be significantly demystifiedby the use of simple illustrations accompanied by short explanations. Moreemphasis could have been given to cheques and their crossings, the effect ornon-effect of crossings, and the purpose of the lines and squiggles added tocheques. One only has to deal in the market place to discover how many businessemployees are hideously ignorant of even the simplest aspects of this branch oflaw. Unless I am mistaken, there is no reference to the use of cheque cards, apractice which is becoming increasingly necessary both for the consumer and thebusinessman alike. Admittedly, this lies outside the provisions of the Bills ofExchange Act, but business reality must be considered in such a text.Lest I give the impression that the book is unsatisfactory, let me point out thatit will prove to be a major contribution to the Zimbabwe business scene. Apartfrom my earlier comment on the absence of discussion on co-operatives, thechapter on Starting a Business is both useful and simply explained. Similarly, thechapter, albeit brief, on Importing and Exporting will prove invaluable to allthose interested in the legal aspects of business as a whole. The book will proveparticularly valuable to students of business law, largely because of its clearexposition of the legal rules and principles in a wide range of topics. It will alsoserve as a sound primer for the law student and legal practitioner.University of ZimbabweJULIE E. STEWARTRoots Rocking In Zimbabwe By Fred Zindi. Gweru, Mambo Press, 1985, viii,98 pp., illus., ZS6.18 (p/b), ISBN 0-86922-360-7.The covers of Zindi's Roots Rocking in Zimbabwe are a potent advertisement forthe intervening text, both to Thomas Mapfumo's fans and to the author-cum-BOOK REVIEWS147recording artist's. The front cover is dominated by a photograph of Mapfumo andcompany, the former, with dreadlocks swaying in the wind, his lips tightly spreadto emphasize a musical phrase as he, conceivably, pounds the ground to therhythm of his song. The back cover features Zindi himself, smartly turned out inopen-necked shirt and smiling broadly Š that smile that is calculated to sendshivers of excitement down the spines of those fans who made his record 'HalloBrothers! Hallo Sisters!', a resounding success. Both covers, as well as the overallcare expended on the production of the book, are further testimony of MamboPress's professionalism in publishing.Roots Rocking in Zimbabwe comprises six chapters. These are followed by a'Reference' section and the book closes with the words, staff notation and tonicsol-fa for Tshe Komborera Africa', Zimbabwe's national song. The first chapter(pp. 1-10) traces the history of Zimbabwean music, prefaced by fleetingreferences to the role of music in the culture of a people, the contexts in whichdifferent types of song are sung, as well as the various types of traditional musicalinstruments used (pp. 2-3). While the personal character given to this chapter bythe author linking the subject to his own encounter with Zimbabwean music (heuses the first person singular) achieves that immediacy that encourages the readerto go on reading, the lack of reference to any particular, typical songs leaves thesubject rather suspended.1The emergence of Zimbabwean music as we know it today through the worksof such prominent artists as Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mutukudzi has atroubled and precarious history. This is due mainly to the unequal competition foran audience which was, and continues to be, simultaneously exposed to morewell-established musical styles from outside Š from South Africa, Zaire and theWest in particular. A further and related complication is the lack of committedsponsorship of the inestimable wealth of potential and budding artists. Business-men and recording companies have an abundant source of cheap labour in artistswho cannot afford either to acquire musical equipment or produce their ownrecords. Roots Rocking in Zimbabwe acquires its controversial character fromZindi's personal knowledge of the unsavoury and scandalous machinations ofthese 'sharks' who are growing fat from the spoils of continual 'rip-offs'.The second chapter (pp. 11-22) deals with the influences of foreign musicaltraditions on Zimbabwean music and its practitioners. The most immediateemerged from Malawi and Mozambique through migrant labourers and fromZaire through touring bands. The mysterious way in which music affects the livesof people, as well as its cultural function in being part of the definition of thosewho compose and perform it, emerge clearly in this chapter. Migrant workersfrom these territories would sing songs in their own languages as a way of keepinganchored to their geographically distant homes, while local artists (p. 11) wouldproduce and perform acculturated versions of these songs, as instruments ofromanticizing away their own problems under colonial rule: those distantcountries were seen as providing an alternative existence which surely was better.Consider this remark from Ghaby of the group, the Real Sounds: 'The [Mutare]audience's reaction to our music was excellent. It seemed they only preferred us to'See P. Berliner, The Soul of Mbira (Berkeley, Univ. of California Press, 1978).148BOOK REVIEWSplay rhumba. When we tried to sing it in Shona, they protested. They preferred usto sing it In Lingala, our own [Zairean] language!' (p. 47).But I am digressing. For Zindi's history is here, as in all the other chapters, achronicle of events couched in vivid images of the poignant vicissitudes of thelives of Zimbabwean artists. Hardly is there a paragraph devoted to the themes,political or social, of this very functional music. Rather, the consistent themerunning through Chapters 3 (pp. 23-61), 4 (pp. 62-75), 5 (pp. 76-81) and 6 (pp.82-88) is that typiied in Thomas Mapfumo's experience reported by Zindi:In 1984, Thomas Mapfumo toured Europe and during his tour he was suprised to see hisL.P. being sold in Amsterdam, Berlin and London. Thomas told me that he did not receiveany royalties for these L.P.'s and that his record company (Gramma) had no right to givelicences to overseas companies as their deal with him was for Africa only. When I went toask Jumbo Vanrene who was responsible for importing Mapfumo's music into Europethrough his Earthworks company, how he had done it, he told me that he had done itlegally with the permission of Gramma Records... Jumbo, a white South African alsotold me that 'If there is any rip-off involved, I don't want to be part of it. When I put outrecords, / try to inform the musicians about the deals.'' He also told me that he had paidThomas personally a sum of £6,000 which Thomas denied having received (pp. 66-7,emphasis added).While it may be true that Mr Vaerene tries 'to inform the musicians about thedeals', he certainly does not bother about critics such as this reviewer, whosetranslation of Mapfumo's lyrics into English he features prominently on the jacketof the L.P. in question, Chimurenga Singles, 1976-1980. The publishers of mybook2 are eot aware of this deal; the only acknowledgement being thatEarthworks are grateful to the Information Department of our London missionfor the translations! In March this year (see The Herald, 21 Mar. 1986), thatalbum was very favourably reviewed in The New York Times, about eightmonths after I had bought a copy of the album in downtown Los Angeles.Nor is this the only source of injustice which Zindi is concerned to expose:'Most musicians in Zimbabwe seem to have signed away their songs to the recordcompanies because there are numerous occasions where songs are interchangedthrough record companies without consultation with the original composer'(p. 67). However, there is a sense in which the musicians are their own worstenemies. In 1981 the Zimbabwe Musicians Union and the Association ofMusicians were formed. But, as Zindi points out, 'the two organisations havewasted all these years struggling for power 'and feuding with each other' (p. 73).Thus, even when the Government imposed an amalgamation of these bodies, itwas headed by two presidents. Earlier (p. 71), Zindi points out that the ZimbabweBroadcasting Corporation uses compositions by Zimbabwean artists as signaturetunes Š such as Flavian Nyathi's 'Pachimoyo' on The Nation televisionprogramme Š without paying any royalties. It must be the desperation arisingfrom this that made *one or two musicians' met by Zindi resolve 'to boycottpayment of ZBC's listeners* licences' oo the grounds that 'they were listening totheir own music. "We want to see if they will take us to Court", they said5 (p. 71).2A. J. C, Pongweni, Songs That Won the Liberation War (Harare, College Press, 1982).BOOK REVIEWS149Yet some of these very musicians connive with record companies to record andsell their comrades* compositions without paying royalties! (p. 66).Roots Rocking in Zimbabwe does address itself to issues other than thesemachinations. But the latter dominate the book, making it a chronicle of thebare-knuckle brawl that the music industry seems to be today. I empathize withthe small man caught between the companies on the one hand, and an ineffectualpoliticking union on the other. The book could have gained considerably from areproduction or two of the one-sided contracts which our musicians allegedlyenter with the record companies. Zindi's enormous amount of knowledge of theshady goings-on in this industry is bound to disarm readers, as will his first-name-first "Reference* section of the book which implies Ms intimate knowledge of theprofession, the personalties and the industry that lie is writing about. The gloomthat envelops this publication must be alleviated by the knowledge thatmusic is the first of the ine arts, by which every mind is moved. But music, however erodeand simple, speaks to every human heart, and this, with dance, constitutes nature's generalfestival throughout the earth; for the music of a nation in its most imperfect form andfavourite tunes, displays the internal character of the peoples (J. G. Herder).One hopes that all concerned will realize this and give our music due respect.University of ZimbabweA. J, C. PONGWENIThe Traditional Medical Practitioner In Zimbabwe By M. Gelfand, S, MaviR. B. DrumrnondomdB. Ndemera Gwera, Mambo Press, Zamtoeziana 17,1985,x, 411 pp., illus., ZS43.70 (p/b), ISBN G-86922-35Q-X.This book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the principles andpractice of the traditional healer. In this part the authors describe how individualsin Zimbabwe become traditional healers, the various methods used in Zimbabweio carrying out a diagnosis, witchcraft beliefs, preventive medicine, midwifery,psychiatric practice, and some of the commonly treated illnesses. The second partis focused on the plants used by traditional healers in the treatment of variousillnesses. This second part of the book is further divided into sections. The firstsection consists of an alphabetical list of complaints, symptoms and other reasonsfor which traditional healers in their sample were consulted, and under eachheading the plante prescribed are listed, also in alphabetical order. The number oftraditional healers interviewed for this second part of the study was 250. Thissection is followed by a table with the same list of plants but indicates in somedetail how these plants are often used by traditional healers. The next section is acomparison of plant remedies used in Zimbabwe and other African countries. Inthe last section some poisonous plants that are sometimes used by traditionalhealers are described.In the preface (p. ix) Gelfand says that the first part of the book contains, *a