1. Natasha and Halli Inquiry
Cultrual Dancing and Music
We want to do our inquiry on cultural South African dancing and music because
our family background is mostly South African so we wanted to know about what
musical background they grew up in.
We want to know how the traditional South African dances and music connects
to their different beliefs and values. We also want to look deeper into our culture
that we did not have a lot of time to experience. We want to know how the dance
and music changed the South African people throughout time and what the
dance and music meant to them.
We are really excited to share our learning with you and we also hope you learn
a lot to.
ENJOY
South African mothers used
songs to sing lullybys to children.
Dogon dancers in Mali wear
traditional masks to mourn the
dead at a funeral ceremony.
South African men sang songs while
hunting and minings.
South Africans dance when babies are born ,
when people die and when people get
married.
Gumboot dancing comes from South Africa workers who worked in the
gold mines. The gold mines they worked in were completely dark. Workers
were chained to their work stations with shackles and not allowed to speak
to one another while working months at a time. Many workers were killed
during this work by accidents, while others were beaten and abused.
"Mbube" (Zulu: lion) was written in the 1920s by Solomon Linda, a South African
singer of Zulu origin, who worked for the Gallo Record Company as a cleaner
and record packer.
"Mbube" wasn't the most catchy tune. The third take was the great one, but it
achieved immortality only in its dying seconds, when Solly [Solomon Linda] took
a deep breath, opened his mouth and improvised the melody that the world now
associates with these words. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps
tonight.
Gitega drummers in Burundi play
at a dance competion to attract
good spirt.
SHOSHALOZA
Shosholoza began as a folk song for the gold and
diamond miners traveling back and forth between
zimbabweand south africa the word shoshaloza is a
combanasion of both ndebele (zimbabwe) and zulu
(of south africa) words meaning "to push forwardor to
strive " The sound of the word itself is symbolic of the
steam engine train that carried miners through the
mountains. It said that the song helped to lesson the
workload and to help create a rythmn to work to
through the long and hard days.
In this project we have learnt so much about all different things from singing lullabies to bells on boots and
and jumping to show strength. We have really enjoyed learning and sharing about our cultures and love for
For the people of South Africa, singing in itself is a tradition. They
these traditional dances and music.
enjoy singing to pass the time during daily chores, or to celebrate
special events. The music they sing has, over the years, been
We have also learnt about how the traditional dances and music connects to there beliefs and values. It
influenced by many different people and groups.
can be dancing or playing the drums it can all connect to there beliefs , for example the Gitega drummers in
Burundi play at a dance competition to attract good spirits.
We really feel connected and attached to these dances and songs even though we don't hear them a lot
any more. Halli: Shishaloza one of the songs has been my favourite for ever. I never new what it actually
meant but after 3 of us having argument on what it meant and looking at 3 Websites we finally found what
we needed to Know. My mum is from South Africa but left when she was 12 so I've never been to South
Africa but I've always had it in my blood. Some people say that I'm half South African and half Australian
but I'm not to sure. But I don't care what any one says I know that I have South African culture in my blood.
Natasha: I was born in South Africa and lived the first 6 years of my life there, I learnt many different
cultural dances and songs but I never knew what the dances actually meant to the South Africans and how
these dance can affect there beliefs and values. Throughout this inquiry I saw and heard the dances and
music and all my childhood memories came back and I finally learnt the real meaning of the cultural
dancing and music.
This connects to our central idea because we did not only look into why they danced but we also looked
into how it connects to their traditions and values.
Thanks for watching
By Natasha and Halli
The maasai warriors do the jumping comps
to show that they are really strong and can
do good tricks, they also invite anyone to
join the game.