Drum Magazine, a publication famous in South Africa, particularly for giving a unique overview of township life under Apartheid regime, marks its 60th anniversary this month.
It was originally known as ‘The African Drum,’ and managed by Robert Crisp, a journalist and broadcaster, but because of the financial crisis, ownership was changed to ed-RAF pilot, Jim Bailey.
It is through him that the publication reached so many targets as he designed the image of the magazine and re-branded the publication. He added content that tackled urban black life and offers a more in-depth look into issues affecting South Africa.
The publication was then moved to Johannesburg, which is where it got its new Drum and was given the tagline, ‘…the beat goes on.’
Read more about Drum Magazine HERE or follow them on twitter at @drummagazine.
Three fans blow their vuvuzelas at the Fan Park in Nelspruit. Photo: Coca-Cola South Africa via Flickr
For many South Africans, going to the stadium without a vuvuzela is like going to school without your books. The vuvuzela is a funnel shaped instrument that is blown by South African fans during the soccer matches and it is believed by many fans that it heartens South African players, especially when they have the opportunity to score a goal.
There has been some controversy in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in South Africa, about this horn. At the beginning of the World Cup there were calls for the instrument to be banned in stadiums, but FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Twitter that he would not dream of suppressing fan culture in any country. Now one sees many tourists walking around in South Africa with a vuvuzela in their nation’s colours.
Where does it come from?
A man at the Khayelitsha fan park blows his vuvuzela. Photo: Coca-Cola South Africa via Flickr
According to Wikipedia, the Vuvuzela, also known as Lepatata (its Tswana name) is an air horn, approximately one metre in length, commonly blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa.
According to southafrica.info the ancestor of the Vuvuzela is said to be the Kudu’s horn (called ixilongo in IsiXhosa and mhalamhala in Tshivenda), which was blown to summon African villagers to meetings.
The origin of the name “vuvuzela” is disputed. It may originate from the Zulu for “making noise”, or from the “vuvu” sound it makes. According to Wikipedia the vuvuzela was originally made from tin and became popular is South Africa in the 1990s where it was often blown in matches between big South African soccer teams Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Different people claim to be the inventor of this instrument. Wikipedia says South African Kaizer Chiefs fan Freddie “Saddam” Maake claims he made an aluminum version of the vuvuzela from a bicycle horn in 1965 and he has photographs of himself holding this invention in the 1970′s, 1980′s and 1990′s. The Nazareth Baptist Church has also claimed that the vuvuzela is a holy instrument used in their church for decades. The plastic factory Masincedane Sport has mass-produced the plastic vuvuzela mostly used at soccer matches today.
A variety to choose from
Zakumi, the 2010 World Cup Mascot with a Kuduzela or Zazu. Photo: Media Club South Africa
There are different types of vuvuzelas, some made of plastic and others are truly works of art, covered in beads.
According to vuvuzela.com the new Sockzela is a vuvuzela covered with a removable fabric sheath in the colours of a specific team participating in the World Cup.
The Zazu or Kuduzela is a curved vuvuzela inspired by the horn of a kudu and developed into a designer musical trumpet by world renowned South African Industrial designer Brian Steinhobel.
According to Media Club South Africa there are even innovative people who are making vuvuzelas out of kelp found on South African beaches!
Different people have different views about the Vuvuzelas. Some like it because they feel that it is a symbol of support and that it shows unity among the fans. Some people hate it, because they feel it keeps people from paying attention to the game; they only focus on the noise made by the vuvuzela.
Like it or not, the vuvuzela is a part of South African soccer culture, so go to the stadiums or fan parks and show our visitors how to blow that vuvuzela.
Watch this video of a British television station’s explanation of the vuvuzela.
Based on the idea that there is no greater force for changing the world than a powerful idea’ TEDAfrica is a sister conference to the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Conferences that are held annually in Monterey, California. These conferences are not limited to Technology, Entertainment and Design as the name suggests, but have grown to also encompass a wide variety of topics which include, science, music, the arts, politics and other global issues.
The idea to host TEDAfrica came about as a result of the success of the TEDGlobal conference that was held in Tanzania last year, due to the evident need for a platform that focused specifically on the unique and pertinent challenges that Africa faces. Therefore TEDAfrica will be held for the first time here in Cape Town, South Africa, from the 29th of September to the 1st of October 2008.
If the Africa conference is anything like its sister conference which had over 50 speakers and 1000 delegates in just 4 days, then this is an event that every great mind in Africa should be attending. Such a conference recognises that Africa has its own unique challenges that are not shared by our western counterparts and that meaningful interventions and solutions should come from within the continent itself. It therefore encourages us to take charge of our situation and take responsibility for its change and our future.
It also provides a huge opportunity for networking and it is an open space for Africans to stretch their minds, challenge the present as well as birth new and innovative ways of tackling our current challenges and even go further by suggesting strategies that will prevent future problems. It is also a good platform to recognise and celebrate the great minds Africa has, as well as our achievements thus far. Such a platform also shatters political boundaries and allows Africans a collective view of our situation and yet at the same time maintaining their own specific identity.
I hope that Africa will grab this opportunity and gain as much from it as it can offer.
Creative Consulting & Development Works is a research, evaluation and communications consultancy, servicing nonprofits, government and funders with innovative solutions in a development context.
On our blog, Development Talks, we discuss politics and social development. We are interested in the impact of politics on the ordinary citizen and the political activities of those on the ground.
