SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT SOUTH AFRICAN FOLK MUSIC
Steven Fisher
Three South African Songs
I.
Khululu Imbadada
II.
Kwangena Thina bo
III.
Shosholoza
arr. Steven Fisher (Colla Voce 43-96840)
A folk song endlessly morphs and evolves as it travels across time and place from
community to community. This is the beauty of folk music. Each community puts its
owns stamp on it. This is largely due to the aural nature of a folk music. A folk song is
born spontaneously out of some need for human expression: hardship, joy, protest,
celebration, or mourning. When a folk song has its ‘world premier’, there is no written
music, no rehearsal, and no score study. The debut simply happens, and the
“arrangement” works itself out over time.
While notating a folk song allows for those people not comfortable with the aural
tradition to access the song, there is a downside. Either the spirit of the folk tradition is
lost due to a lack of contextual understanding of the tradition, or there is paralysis by
over-analyzing in an effort to be “authentic”. As for the latter pitfall, it is this arranger’s
experience that, like political correctness, folk song ‘correctness’ can go too far.
While every effort should be made to understand the origins, function, context, and
traditions of a folk song, what is most important is that the song be sung with the simple
goal of capturing the spirit of the tradition. And that spirit is to SING! Choral music is the
quintessential expression of the all-important African concept of UBUNTU – a person is
a person through other people. We as humans can only realize our full humanity by
honoring and nurturing our relationship with other humans. Our various roles as parent,
child, brother, sister, or friend defines us. They make us who we are.
Further, it is acceptable – and desirable – for a choir to contribute to the tradition with its
own interpretation. It is sometimes even acceptable to incorporate one’s own choral
tradition into the South African tradition if it enhances the spirit of South African folk
singing. The South Africans themselves have done this throughout the ages. They’ve
incorporated the Western hymnody progressions introduced by Christian missionaries.
They took the sounds of bombs dropping on London they heard on the radio during
World War II and used it to create a new kind of traditional vocal line for the basses
(known as bombing). That is how a folk song lives, breathes, and is passed on from
generation to generation.
Take for example, Shosholoza. It is the most famous of all South African folk songs. If
there are a thousand township choirs across South Africa, then there are a thousand
versions. Each choir has its own take, with endless variations of tempo, rhythm,
harmonization, and text. One version is not more authentic than the other, although there
are probably a thousand township choir directors who would claim their version is the
definitive one! Certainly there are commonalities between each version. These tradition
threads should be weaved into any arrangement and performance.
Below are some of the most common tradition threads for South African folk music:
• a call by one of the voice parts that “jump-starts” the piece; in western conducting
terms, a kind of preparatory gesture that sets the key and tempo
• largely homophonic responses by one or more of the remaining voice parts
• harmonizations based on Western hymnody progressions
• movements that tend to be small rather than large
• ululating: A ululation is a long, wavering, high-pitched sound with a trilling
quality. In South African culture it is a celebratory call that expresses great joy.
Ululating involves moving the tongue quickly (from left to right and/or up and
down) in the mouth repetitively while producing a high-pitched sound. It is not
unlike the stereotypical “Indian” war call as portrayed in old Westerns. Instead of
the hand motion at the mouth, the tongue motion is employed.
• a forte dynamic throughout
One of the challenges of singing South African folk music on a Western program is
length. South African folks songs tend to be quite short and repetitive. This challenge
provides an opportunity for an arranger or choir to contribute by expanding form in a way
that will suit program needs.
Possibilities include:
• stringing two or more folk songs together
• repeating sections
• terraced entrances of each voice part
• variations in dynamics
• alternating movement and non-movement
Drumming
Including drumming as part of a performance is a perfect example of traditions evolving.
Because of the nomadic lifestyle of South African tribal life as well as the relative
treeless South African veldt, drums were not part of the folk song tradition. Wood was
hard to come by, and besides, nobody wanted to carry it! It was the British who
introduced drumming when they arrived on the tip of the African continent. By today’s
ethno-musical standards, this addition to the tradition from the outside would be deemed
inauthentic. But adding drums has become perfectly acceptable, to the point where a
township choir will enthusiastically incorporate drums when they are available. When it
comes to what kind of drums and what kind of drumming, avoid analysis by paralysis.
Experiment. Keep the drumming in the spirit of the tradition and it will be authentic!
TRANSLATION AND MOVEMENT
KHULULU IMBADADA
“Hey you! Take your shoes off!”
(Context: a mother has wiped up the floor, and does not want the child to dirty it)
A Section Movement
Feet: the feet march. Right foot forward, left foot in place, right foot back, left foot in
place. The left foot simply lifts up, but never forward or back. The right foot does the
moving, but not very far in either direction. Stay inside “the box”
Hands: clenched in a fist position
Arms: resting position is upper arms along side the body, lower arms stick straight out,
forming a ninety-degree angle with the upper arms. When the right foot moves forward,
the right arm moves straight out. When the left foot move moves back, the left arm
moves straight out. When the left feet are marching, the arms are resting by the body, but
still at a ninety-degree angle. This series of movements is strange for Westerners, as they
are not movements that occur in everyday life.
B Section Movement*
Feet: right foot moves forward slightly and stomps, four times per measure, on the beat
Hands: right hand hovers over the right kneecap. The left hand hovers over the right
hand and makes a very fast circular motion. Be sure that the fast circular motion does not
create an accelerando.
*Ululating should occur spontaneously throughout this section.
KWANGENA THINA BO
“When we came into the room, the audience was silent. But then they heard we were the
best choir in the world. The women began to praise us.”
Movement
No movement, but the body should sing. The body sings with the feet planted on the
ground while the arms hang freely, but close to the body. The torso and head move in any
way that is inspired and informed by the song. Letting the body sing is not the same thing
as swaying, or any movement that is regimented or choreographed. The movement of the
upper body reflects the song itself.
SHOSHOLOZA
“Hold the train that leaves for South Africa! I want to get on it!”
A Section Movement
Feet: In each measure, one set of step-toe to the right, then step-toe to the left
Hands: clenched in a fist position
Arms: right arm comes up from the side of the body until the fist reaches shoulder
height, then cuts across suddenly at a ninety-degree angle**. It then drops back to the
side of the body, fist still clenched. The left arm repeating the same movement
immediately follows this. It comes up from the side of the body until the fist reaches
shoulder height, and then it cuts across suddenly and sharply at a ninety-degree angle. It
then drops back to the side of the body, and the right hand repeats. The “cutting across”
motion is almost in the spirit of a hockey player checking another player. The elbow
“pops” suddenly.
Feet and Arm Coordination: when the right foot steps, the right arm moves outward.
When the right foot ‘toes’, the right arm cuts across the chest. Similarly, when the left
foot steps, the left arm moves outward. When the left foot “toes”, the left arm is cuts
across the chest.
B section Movement (Wenyuyaba leka!)
Feet: right foot lunges out in front of the body and stomps, two stomps per measure. The
first four stomps are fortissimo and the second four stomps are pianissimo. This repeats
as reflected in the arrangement.
Quiet A Section (measures 18-24)
No movement
Final A Section*
Clapping on the beat - four claps per measure
*Spontaneous ululating should occur
**Have the singers strike a “Genie making three wishes” pose with their arms: right arm
resting on left arm, at 90 degree angles, slightly lower than shoulder length. The result is
a rectangular area of empty space with the arms and chest forming the perimeter.
Although this pose is not used in the piece (the right arm and left arm never move at the
same time), it is useful in demonstrating the proper angle for the arms.