DJ Cleo is also known as Es'khaleni which translates to "in the area".
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Lucky Dube is a South African legend. He is best known for his contribution to Reggae and Mbaqanga music. He was named Lucky by his mother who considered his birth to be a blessing after a number of failed pregnancies. His untimely death in 2007 shocked the music world. Ps. IDUBE is a ZEBRA. A lot of Zulu music was influenced by people travelling between their homes in KwaZulu Natal and Johannesburg in search of work. When they arrived in the city the style, sound and themes of their music changed. Isicathamiya comes from the word cathama (walk softly/carefully). People singing isicathamiya include dance moves that make it look like they are stepping gently. If you have ever been to a South African rugby match, you will have heard this song - whether it is played on the stadium speakers or if the crowd proudly sings it as a Springbok anthem. Originally, this song came from Zimbabwe and is actually sung in Ndebele and Zulu. It is believed that this song was sung by migrant workers travelling to South Africa from Zimbabwe by train, and was later adopted by Zulu miners who sung it to create a rhythm while they work (which made the work seem more manageable). If you can sing along to this song, then you know you are pronouncing the X click correctly... This song teaches us 3 things: 1. How to pronounce the Q click 2. How social gatherings often revolve around consumption (beer in this instance) 3. Just how good the Mbaqanga music genre is. 'Mbaqanga' translates to 'porridge' or 'steamed bread'. This music genre reflects an urban lifestyle where tradition meets the modern-day. It developed in shebeens during the 1960s because it was difficult to play music in public during that time. It was a popular music style among migrant workers in city hostels who were reminded of their home through its cyclical rhythm. Its cross-over sound - that drew inspiration from Western music and was played on modern instruments - reflected the in-between-ness (being both traditional and urban) of these migrant workers that travelled between two worlds. One of the first songs a child hears is a lullaby. A lullaby is a gentle, repetitive song that is sung to soothe a child and to help them fall asleep. It is no co-incidence then that the word for lullaby is isiduduzo, which comes from the word for soothe [duduza]. Fire. It burns. It destroys. But it also revives. There is a saying that goes... "Utshani obulele buvuswa omlilo" which translates to: "The dry, dead grass in made new again by fire" and means: Sometimes we drift through life in a daze, and then we experience something that makes us more alert and alive. In school we sang a song about a skorokoro - an old, weathered, damaged car that would cost more to repair than what it is worth, but has great sentimental value and so the owner continues to drive it... even if it means the passengers need to get out and push. Although this is an isiXhosa song, the clicks are the same as those found in isiZulu. Qongqothwane (the actual name of the song) is a folk song about a beetle that makes clicking sounds. The song was often sung at weddings as it was believed to bring about good luck, rain, and guidance through troubled times. The beetle was also used in children's games as it would show them the way home. |
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IsiZulu has a strong oral tradition; knowledge and information is often shared through speaking and singing. |