Traditional Music - South Africa
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Introduction
To understand traditional music one needs at least an idea of prehistoric and ancient music, which are periods included in the curriculum of Music Archaeology. In order to appreciate this article we only need to know a few important facts or hypotheses.
Music is all about sound and rhythms. Its main purpose is to evoke strong emotions and to change and/or establish our moods and states of mind. We can but only imagine how it was utilized in ancient times as a form of intentional emotional manipulation.
In prehistoric time music were produced by the human voice and mouth, and the clapping of hands and the stamping of feet. In the course of time flutes and pipes of bones and reeds were added, as well as drums and percussion instruments of all kinds.
To root the traditional music of Africa in prehistoric and ancient times, I start this presentation with the traditional rhythm and sound of the Celts and the Goths.
Celtic Drum Beats (the bodhrán)
(Celtic) The Chieftains - O'Sullivan's March (With pipes)
(Gothic) Amazonia fusion, drum solo - Haalima 'Vampire solo'
Gothic Orientale style - Vanessa drum solo with daggers
And now the beat of Africa:
African Percussion
Oldest African drumming footage ever
South Africa
In South Africa, the homeland of many Nguni (including Zulu and Xhosa) and Sotho tribes, distinctive beats are recognizable.
The well known "The Lion Sleep Tonight" was originally a Zulu song called Mbube (lion). According to folklore the song was sang when Shaka kaSenzangakhona, the most influential king of the Zulu's, had died on 22 September 1828 at the age of forty-one. (He had been assassinated by his half-brothers Dingana and Mhlangana.)
Read more about Shaka at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaka_Zulu
('isi' is an isiZulu prefix meaning 'the language of',
while the Basotho use the prefix 'se'.)
Just for the sake of interest:
- The baSotho speak seSotho and they live in leSotho.
- The amaZulu speak isiZulu and they live in KwaZulu.
Thula Thu - English lyrics
isiZulu Traditional: Thula thu, Thula Baba,
Hush, little man, hush, child of mine
Daddy is coming in the morning
Hush, my child, hush, my son
Hush, Daddy is coming from the mountains
We will be here, as the saying goes -
They were saying; come back home
We will be here, as the saying goes -
I say come back, my child, come to your home
Hush, hush, my son
Hush, hush, my little man
Hush, hush, my child
Hush, hush, my little man
The style of the amaXhosa (also a Nguni tribe) is different - Keep in mind that dances are not merely dances. They are STORIES - every move has a specific meaning.
Ubuhle Be Afrika Entertainers cc.: Xhosa Dance
The style of the Basotho also differs from the other tribes.
Basotho music:
The next song is a modern version of a very popular folk song of the Ndebele people (a Nguni tribe). The song originated in Zimbabwe, but was sang so frequently by Ndebele male migrant workers while they were working in South African mines that it is regarded today by many as South Africa's second national anthem.
A Hit: Shosholoza (Modern Version)
Then the white DUTCH people arrived in 1654, staunched Protestants thoroughly Christianized who consider their Goth heritage as heathenish. In the beginning of the 19th century their music and dances are prim and proper, but still condemned as sin by the Church.
Boeremusiek (Afrikaans Country Music)
In the meanwhile many genres, such as pop, rock and soul, had been developed with great success as typical South-African music, but for this hub we stick to the traditional folk songs. Today’s ‘folk songs’ are popular sing-a-longs, many of them with their own line-dancing movements.
(Afrikaans) Kurt Darren: Loslappie (man/woman not committed to a partner)
And now to get this all together into a national anthem!
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This is beautiful and brings the heart back to the motherland. I do believe all life began in Africa and the Garden of Eden was there. I only had time to listen to the oldest drumming video but will come back this afternoon for more. Thank you. i love this and the sound drew my little boy over to investigate. That is awesome.
epigramman – I find the ancient drum-rhythms extremely interesting, because rhythm ask for specific melodies and the instruments used to provide the melody determine a specific tone/mood, and all of this inspire specific dances. At the end the entire musical presentation determine people’s emotions and state of mind and/or awareness.
Thanks you so much, Epi, for your continuous support. I’m going to find Paul Simon’s Graceland – I am curious to hear why you regard the albums as bridges of the cultural gaps between Africa- and Western music. Lots of hugs from me to you.
Hyphenbird – The buffing of the music takes so much time – I don’t know if I am the only one who finds this frustrating. But I am sure you will find the entire presentation very interesting when you listen at least to the first quarter of each video. Yes, music speaks to children even before they are born and, of course, forever and a day to all of us. Take care, Hyphen, I’ll see you soon in your corner.
Such a fascinating hub regarding the roots of our music. I've always wondered how humans decided, created, and played music. I'm sure initially it was done to mimic animals that "sing." Completely interesting in all ways.
I enjoyed this hub very much Martie. Fantastic videos and I especially like the Shosholoza! (I hope I got that right) The rhythm and the video tells an amazing history and your text put it in a context. The music show me the power in traditional music! What a great idea to put a hub like this together, traditional music tells stories beyond words. Thanks for lightening up my evening, I will go to sleep with the drums in my mind!
Tina
A.A. Zavala – Fascinating it certainly is. You know this, of course, but I need to stress that there was a time in evolution the speech organs of humans were not developed – they could only make click-sounds and later 3-letter words like ‘ugh’ and ‘ohm’ – even the ’m’ sound could not be achieved in the beginning.
In our country are still a few Bushmen – the original natives of SA. They still communicate with click-click sounds. So initially, I would say, humans spontaneously made the ordinary primate-sounds – like apes and baboons, and you might be right by saying they initially started to copy-cat the birds. Because just by observing small children, babies – the first they do after they can say ‘mamma’, is imitate the dog or cat, and later they try to make the sounds of birds – normally first the owl.
Sooooo interesting!
I appreciate you visit and comment, Augustine. Take care!
thougtforce – And what amazing stories we hear in traditional music. For instance the roots of (Latin) ballroom dancing are clearly distinguished in the rhythm of Gothic music. I haven’t even mention anything about Eastern music, and you know that differs completely from Western and African.
I am so glad you enjoyed this, Tina. Best wishes from me to you.
Martie, I loved this. Music is so powerful. The African percussion video got me out of my chair to dance. The beat is like no other. I will come back to watch the other videos. This hub is very educational for me. I enjoy learning of early times in Africa, which is the Motherland of all music. Thank you for sharing again..
This is a wonderful hub, Martie. It's very enjoyable and interesting as well as informative! I watched part of every video and will be returning to your hub to watch everything from start to finish when I have more time. Thank you so much for sharing the music and the dances.
Wonderful and beautiful hub..thank you for writing this and sharing your homeland.I love the music..it goes straight to the heart. This is one hub that needs to be sent to a magzaine or something more..I hope you will pass it on..Thank you Martie..I love the lullabye and the harmony...so lovely
God bless,
Sunnie
Wow, Martie! I love it. Thank you for such a re-education. This is fabulous and well researched. I'm bookmarking it for my own reference.
Fabulous hub! Thank you for sharing with us:)
always exploring – At last this hub is republished again. HP unpublished it because of the painting of that drummer-girl, who was topless - in accordance with traditional fashion. And I believe also because of the one video of African dancing. The Westerns cannot understand that the blacks of Africa did not regard the breasts of a woman as a sexual organ. For them it was the hips, the lower back and the buttocks. Ruby, you will enjoy the ‘story’ told by the videos, so get yourself a cup of tea and watch them – even only a quarter of each one. Thank you for your continuous support. Take care!
AliciaC – I am proud of this hub. I feel my explanation of the development of traditional music in SA is clear and simple and not above the head of people who did not study Music Archaeology. The timely buffing of the videos is such a frustration – I do hope technology will soon improve regarding this. Thanks for reading/listening and commenting. Take care!
....it's ironic isn't it - this time around I came back to see the breasts - or least, the breasts that are covered up - lol - and of course, the grand music, the videos (some of which I didn't watch the first time around), the informative text and because anything Martie does here in a Hub is always a first class presentation all of the way .......thank you for your resilience and for sticking to your principles - you are my hero Miss M .... lake erie time 2:08pm
Sunnie Day – I actually feel like crying. The entire hullabaloo is so ridiculous. When I was younger, I loved fighting my way out of a deliberate or not-deliberate misunderstanding, but I don’t enjoy doing it any more. It is tiresome and very much like trying to shout louder than thunder. Yet, I still react instinctively when treated in an unfair manner. I am flushed with adrenalin, and at this stage of my life I really don’t want to feel this anxious. I feel I’ve done more than my share of fighting for justice and righteousness; it is now time for me to enjoy life as it is. So turning the other cheek is really an art I would like to master. Yes, there is a mysterious and carnal beauty in the traditional music of Africa and in particular of South Africa, the homeland of so many extra-ordinary tribes. Their culture is amazingly pure and of high standard, but ruined in the process of westernization. Thanks for your support.
kirutaye – Hi, my fellow-African. (Let’s pretend you don’t live in the UK.) You are such a brilliant ambassador for Africa with those African novels of yours. Mark my words, you are going to change many-many crooked perceptions of Africans. I am going to buy your novel very soon – just have to take the time to do it. I look so forward to the read. Thanks for coming by and make my day with your comment.
Sunshine625 – Oh, I appreciate your visit. I wanted you to know that my outburst in Hub Hoppers was not about nitty-gritty. I really have a serious view on the issue and I am sure nobody feel like blaming me. Take care, Linda, and carpé diem!
I did get to watch all of the videos and they are wonderful and amazing. I am so glad the Hub was republished and also believe the reason for the unpublish was wrong. That Hub of hte Day statue indeed was more realistic and explicit. But this is important stuff to share and even with the black tube top, the drummer is regal.
epigramman – just hold your shoulder, let me cry my heart out on it – but only for a few minutes until I am ready again to continue my quest for justice. You have no idea how much I appreciate your support!
Hyphenbird – I appreciate your approval tremendously. Those naked statues – Western Art – were inspired by the immoral life-style of the Romans – From the very start they had an erotic intention; the models were participators of orgies on high level. While the standards and norms of Africans, before they got westernized, were extremely high. Immoral practices were taboo. Men had to marry the women they wanted to sleep with. Shaka was one of the minority illegitimate children – (the son of a prince who went against the rules when he impregnated a girl) - and his mother had to flee with him in order to escape a horrible death-penalty. So really, I cannot help but emphasizing my discontentment with Google’s standards loud enough.
Thanks so much for your support.
So sad that this hub about traditional music are now spoiled with Google's double standards regarding art.
Martie, it is a big effort you made - I only listened to one song and it was beautiful. I probably have to come here every time I have a break from my crazy life and listen to yet another piece of music.
I thought - why are we covering our bodies? To sell sex after when we uncover it? Isn't it stupid? These women singers were amazing and if you don't make it a point about nudity then... it is simply nature.
Martie, Actually you should have asked these singers to cover up. The power that be has following to say,
Oh my! how am I to decide on the virtues of it,
I couldn't understand it folks, kept watching the tit.
MAKUSR
Well i came back to listen to the rest of the videos..Loved it. Can you tell me why anyone would think the picture of the dancer with uncovered breasts was unpresentable? The Lullaby video showed a woman's breast in full movement when dancing. ( which was quite lovely in fact ) Thank you again Martie..Cheers
Martie these were a real treat. The Celtic drumming is something and so is the oldest African. Several of the other vids were great as well. The Afrikaans dancing is not dissimilar to ones over here. The Hub was unpublished the other day when I clicked on but after reading some of the comments I can only say its all so ridiculous. Glad you got things worked out. PS- thank you Martie for becoming a member on the blog. Its still a work in progress but hope to have it edited with pics soon. Also expanded and uncensored..lol!
kallini2010 – Nice to see you. You will find the routes of ballroom dancing mostly in music of the Goths. Considering the cold winters in the Northern Hemisphere, the complete covering of the body was always a natural response. But in Africa....
The fact that Africans did cover the sexual organs – and women’s breasts were not regarded as such – gives me the idea that it is an instinctive self-protection technique exclusively practiced by humans. In prehistoric time hair covered most of the body. Just figure what most people were able to do with their long hair. The fact that men still die over women with long hair, is a need for warmth and comfort settled in the crocodile mind.
makusr – Now what can I say? Can you imagine how surprise African women were when they came to know that their breasts were in fact powerful magnets for the eyes and hands of foreigners? Since then and until today they cash in on this ‘phenomenon’.
always exploring – I find the development of the music so interesting, and after so many ages the basic rhythms are still the same. Thanks for taking the time to listen to all the videos, and I am so glad you enjoyed them.
Alastar Packer – I find the distinguishable differences between the Celtic, Gothic and Africa rhythms very interesting. And don’t forget about the music of the East.
I was quite impressed with your blog. You remind me of a friend of mine – he remembers by heart all the many movies and the names of the characters he saw since he can remember.
Alastar, you will appreciate my latest hub. http://martiecoetser.hubpages.com/hub/Day-of-Recon
Thanks for your visit.
Dry your tears, Martie, this is an amazing piece in every way, true art, true beauty, reality of life.
I have come back several time through the day to fully appreciate each video. Thanks for your spirit and determination. It's really not all about 'elevator music and status quo' and you should be proud of yourself. I am...!
Voted UP & UABI-- Brava, Maria
Martie - I have to admit, I did not read yet, but I listened to the music in this hub... especially drums...
Whether breasts are sexual or not sexual is debatable, but i do not really feel that sexual about them, especially if I remember the painful latching and Daniel's spitting technique - he used to spit out one of my breasts - he was impatient with the milk flow or lack thereof...
Now, every time a man latches on my breast, I think "what is the fascination?", I would rather they leave my ... alone.
But nudity should be OK. As a society we have all our values upside down - we created this "problem" by covering. Can you imagine if we start covering our eyes? Or eyes? Oh, wait, we already do - we cover our ears with listening to music and tuning out of the real world and the real world feels weirder and weirder by the second.
marcoujor – Thank you so much, Maria, for your never-ending support. You know I appreciate you with all my heart. Take good care of yourself!
kallini2010 – Like dancing is for you, music was/is for me. I am no longer active in the world of music, but I will always promote it, especially as a subject to be studied already from pre-school age.
While a woman is supposed to feed and raise babies, Nature.... the Universe.... the Brain.... God... keeps the sensual zones in her breasts dormant. Although she uses her breasts, or let me rather say she allows the usage of it. But believe me, the time for raising babies does pass, and if your babies/children (including husband) had not turned you into a prune... well, you must have heard life starts at.... 42?
So don’t give up on them. And take good care of them :))
My thoughts about nudity – I honestly believe the naked body should be regarded as ‘holy’ – reserved for one’s lover.
It's really silly that this HUB got flagged
...and yes it's good to see this most valued hub of love and research through the miracle of a great writer back in hubtown - and yes dear Martie I would still play you like the sweetest harp you've ever heard .......lake erie timeless for you - for all of the others it's 5:54am arriving home after work with these warm thoughts of you - and yes, the utmost respect for your writer's craft.
PDXKaraokeGuy – Silly, ridiculous, pathetic, obscurant... I have so many words! Thanks for clicking in.
epigramman – how is it possible not to love you? Especially while you play me like a harp? :-))) Now I wonder like what shall I play you?
I can play quite a few instruments.... Your choice: The piano, organ, keyboard, piano-accordion or the concert flute? I can also make a few sounds on the French Horn :))))
Hello Martie and congratulations on a marvelous hub, I am bookmarking it for everyday listening for when I miss my adopted homeland.
I loved my years in South Africa and your right the music sets the emotional mood. I will be dancing around the lounge tomorrow. Thanks.
molometer – Every country is unique, and then every province in the country has its own uniqueness. As far as I remember you were in the Cape Province... Cape Town? – The difference between the North West Province and the Cape Province is mentionable. But this hub covers the entire SA, although I featured only 3 of the 11 existing language groups.
So yes, the music in here will surely bring you back to us in spirit. Take care, my friend, and have a merry Christmas :))
Wow what an amazing hub Martie, no wonder there are so many comments.
Here's another to add to them and also an up up and away.
Take care and enjoy your day.
Eddy.
Eiddwen - I enjoyed the research so much and gained a lot of insight. And here's to you for being such a pleasant person in my corner. Take care :)
Miriam Makeba. Unforgettable! Thanks for the other music videos also which are such a rich variety blend. Hooray to the music of South Africa. Great job!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this, MsDora. I am proud of our music - all of it. Take care :)
Very nice - I love African music and all the videos you have included are a nice touch!
Wow, thanks for introducing your vibrant music to me. Never heard it before. I like the bringing in of different traditions from around the world. The Amazonia vampire solo is my favorite. Voting this Up and Beautiful.
This was a real pleasure to read and listen to Martie. I used to play a Tahitian drun with a group that my daughter danced with. The E Honu Iti E was the group. The Tahitian dance and music is similar and always tells a story.
Voted Up and Beautiful.
Thank you, Kris. I've found the research very interesting. Thanks for pimping me in our secret corner :)
alocsin - Good to know you enjoyed the hub. I find the development of music in the world extremely interesting. Thanks for the vote :)
Curiad - I considered adding Tahitian dances, and some Eastern and Mediterranean as well, but then the hub would have been too long. The difference in the basic rhythm invented by different cultures amazes me.
Thank you for coming over for the read and for commenting.
...I see your 'lady friend' right at the top of this hub is 'still' covered up - lol - there's a surprise waiting for you at our FB group - home early from work 10:45pm
I just saw the surprise, Colin! And now I am smiling myself awake.... Thank you for the pimp :)
The first thing that caught my attention was seeing the drummer-girl with her breast covered up! However, remembering HP tiresome rules, it brought a smile to my face. Then reading the comments, it proved my suspicions right, why this illustrated woman was dressed in a bikini. Lol!
Anyway. . . This hub brought back some fond memories from the time I visited South Africa. I had the privilege to visit some "villages" and to hear the different tribes sing and telling their stories through their dance. It was just amazing! Furthermore, I loved to watch the news and listen to the newscaster from different parts of the country. Listen to the different dialects with its clicks and whistle sounds . . .wow, just fascinating!
I loved your country, I loved the food and I loved the friendly people! I hope one day to return. Thank you for this trip down memory lane.
Sannel, what a delight to know you were here. Countries is so much like houses. You can see the outside by you don't have an idea what goes on inside until you are inside. And then you have to stay at least a few weeks to get at least an impression of what's in the closets and under the carpets. I hope you will be able to visit again. Let me present myself here and there as your tour guide :)
Yes, I am still not over the ridiculous covering of my model's breast. And to think she was a piece of art and now she has to deny the traditions of her tribe.
Thanks for coming over for a read and for the delightful comment. Take care!
I love the sound of African drums. We had a music teacher in our building several years ago that used to teach our older students the rhythms of the drums and they would put on a presentation during Black History Month. I always enjoyed the show and miss it. Thanks for this hub, it was a nice walk down memory lane.
cardelean, I am so glad you enjoyed this hub. The African beat and rhythm are unique - just as unique as the primary (primordial) beats and rhythms of other countries.
Music is a language...
Thank you for your interesting comment :)
I know much about South African cricketers, little about Zulu people and Mandela, but nothing about music. Thanks for sharing.
So you are a cricket fan, Vinaya? I have a hub about Mandela you might find interesting, and something about the Zulu's to in a hub about the Day of Reconciliation. Thank you for the visit, and, again, Happy Birthday!
epigramman 5 months ago
......well let me be the first to proudly say this is a most wonderful hub tribute my dear Miss M - a landmark hub in fact and because I am a musicologist of the highest order I can truthfully say that I am quite moved by this entire presentation - I have always loved all kinds of African music - it is indeed the birthplace of all music in terms of the blues and rock and roll and country and traditional - it's very spirit is personified in the sound of the drum - well Martie I will always bang the drum for you - and loudly too - as I will post this labor of love by you to my Facebook page with a direct link back here - and yes one of my all time favorite albums which bridges the cultural gap is Paul Simon's Graceland.
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