Sub-Saharan Africa

 January 22, 2021

Hi, everyone! Since our lesson on Western and Southern African music and cultures, I have been watching Trevor Noah videos nonstop. It's comedy, news, and Trevor's dimples (which his fans are suckers for) all wrapped in one daily show! He often references his South African upbringing and that paired with our in-class discussions has helped me to become much more invested in learning about the culture. Here are a few of the questions that I answered for myself about culture and music in South Africa.

What are the traditional South African dances that accompany the playing of African instruments, like the Agbekor drums for example? 

During my perusing I stumbled upon a great article that covers the most popular African dances of 2018 that are still widely used today. So, instead of focusing on traditional dances I ended up exploring more modern ones. The article mentions various styles including Shaku-Shaku (aka Nigerian Gangnam Style), Gwara-Gwara, Pilolo, Kwangwaru, etc. As we know, dance is a form of expression in many cultures. So, just like there are many expressions, there are many dances, and these dances have variants. I focused in on the Shaku-Shaku, which has three versions. One is more stiff, the other is the most commonly used, and the last is stiff with a rocking motion. After watching the video below, I thought, Oh, how simple! It can't be that hard! However, like many people attested to in the comments, my efforts ended in a little discomfort (some people dislocated their knees...?). So, if you try this at home, maybe do some stretches first! This YouTuber also posted instructional videos on other dances that I read about in the article, like the Gwara-Gwara. These modern dances seem to express joy and cultural pride through which each dancer can tell their own story. Check out both videos below! 

Who is Miriam Makeba?

After watching the Paul Simon Documentary Under African Skies I decided that I wanted to know more about Miriam Makeba. She was featured on the album and was noted as one of the artists whose participation on it helped with the controversy that Paul was facing. I figured that if she had this much influence, she must have been making a name for herself long before his album came on the scene. Enter this article that I came across about her life. It turns out that Makeba was one of the most significant artists of the 20th century, donning the title "Mama Africa". 

Born right before the beginning of apartheid, Makeba began singing at an early age in her school choir. As she got older and aged into the 1950s, her singing career began to lift off. She gained fame for her beautiful voice in South Africa before American artists heard about her and helped her to make her way to the United States. Once she settled here, she embarked on a successful musical journey that brought Americans awareness of South African music and eventually to the apartheid crisis. The South African government did not appreciate her exposing the oppressive regime and exiled her for three decades, eventually revoking her passport and banning her music across the country. If you'll remember from the documentary, Makeba was in exile when her daughter died and was not allowed to travel back to South Africa for her burial. 

The article gives more details on her life, so I won't share them all, but it is important to note that even through the death of her daughter, four divorces, exile from her country, and a decline in fame after marrying a Black activist, Makeba never gave up. She continued to tour in Africa and Europe and shared the story of her and her people through song. Below is a video of one of her most famous songs.

How has Africa handled COVID19?

I took a small break from researching for this blog and happened upon the Trevor Noah video posted below. (I wasn't kidding when I said I watch him non-stop. It's good stuff, folks!) After watching it, I decided to share what I learned about Africa's experience with and approach to COVID19. Basically, they're doing what we should have done...Their deaths have been significantly lower and their heads are getting above water much faster than many other countries that are dealing with the pandemic. I won't spoil the video, but there are a few reasons that may explain why Africa is handling the sickness so well. One potential reason is experience. This isn't the first time that Africa has dealt with an outbreak. By now, through devastations that inspired coping mechanisms and survival methods, the people just know what to do when it comes to highly contagious viruses. If you'll remember, not many years ago they handled the ebola outbreak, which was much more intense than the coronavirus. Click on the video below to hear more of these reasons. 

I hope you enjoyed this vlog! Take care!