I am a fourth-year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology with the Music department at the University of Pittsburgh. My research focuses on the participation of women in Zambia’s pop music scene as song writers, singers, and music performers since the 1990s when Zambia transitioned to democratic politics. I wanted to do the immersive program this summer because I saw it as a great opportunity for me to learn how to conduct virtual research. Considering the uncertainty surrounding scholarship in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual research skills will come in handy when I return to Zambia for my fieldwork next year.

For the immersive this summer, I decided to collaborate with Bloggers of Zambia, a civic organization that explores the use of virtual platforms as alternative spaces in which Zambia’s citizenry can participate in the democratic processes of the country. Specifically, the organization focuses on providing virtual platforms on which youth can converse about Zambia’s politics and facilitating the training of journalists and researchers on how to employ virtual platforms in their work.

The immersive project I am working on this summer involves me collaborating with selected staff at Bloggers of Zambia. In the next month and half, I will learn through apprenticeship how to conduct ethnography remotely. During my time with the organization, I will observe music recording sessions by song writers and singers Jane Banda and Katisha Sakala. I will also learn how to edit blogs and publish on social media platforms. Mr. Richard Mulonga, the Chief Executive Officer of the organization, an experienced blogger himself, along with his qualified colleagues, have pledged to mentor me during my apprenticeship.

While apprenticing with Bloggers of Zambia will tremendously enhance my career as an academician, my experience as a scholar will positively impact the mission of the organization as I have made myself available to edit the blogs of my collaborators. Also, considering the organization only has seven permanent staff members, my contribution in the day-to-day activities at the organization will serve as capacity building. The fact that my study of women musicians’ participation in Zambia’s pop music scene also aligns with the organization’s mission of encouraging the participation of women in the democratic processes of the country, my research work will enlighten the organization about how women have increasingly participated in Zambia’s music scene in the past three decades.

I organized my summer immersive on my own. In April, a month after I arrived in Zambia, I was contracted to work on an OXFAM sponsored COVID-19 musical/theatrical project with Fumba Chama, aka Pilato, a social political musician activist. Pilato shares office space with Bloggers of Zambia. It was he who introduced me to Richard Mulonga, the Executive Officer of the organization. After a few conversations with Mr. Mulonga, I realized that their mission of providing alternative platforms to the citizenry of Zambia via the Internet is a relevant territory to venture into as a researcher, especially in this time when the world has to navigate physical distancing as we deal with the pandemic. Most importantly, I thought the skills I would acquire at Bloggers of Zambia would greatly enhance my career as a scholar. Mr. Mulonga and his staff were all very excited when I expressed interest in the idea of doing an apprenticeship with them.

For my reflections post-immersive, please see Immersing in Remote Ethnomusicology.

Learn about all the Summer 2020 Immersive Fellows and their experiences with their host organizations.