The Vocal Traditions of two Indigenous Cultures of South Africa

Abstract

I have selected only two groups from the vastly differing groups of people in the Southern African society and will deal with each in an individual manner as the sociological, philosophical and musical practise of the music is so diverse. I will deal with the CAPEMALAYvocal tradition first as it is very close to my heart because the secular repertoire is sung in my mother tongue. It is music that originated on South African soil when the Malays were brought by the Dutch Colonists to the Cape as slaves. The second vocal tradition is that of the Xhosa! people, one of the many black traditions in South Africa, and constitutes 76.6% of the Eastern Cape population, where I now live.