From the kraal to the classroom: Shifting musical arts practices from the community to the school with special reference to learning tshigombela in Limpopo,South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa the arts and culture educational curriculum has undergone immense change and continues to impact and influence the role of musical arts practices in children’s lives throughout the country. In specific districts of the Limpopo province in particular, musical practices of the Venda culture are being integrated into the school classroom as a means to revitalize and regenerate musical forms that have been historically denigrated by missionaries and the apartheid government. The dance and performance genre known as tshigombela is one such example and, at present, it is a predominant musical practice that illustrates how a musical form can be preserved by shifting it from community settings and into government-sanctioned classrooms. This paper will explore this conscious shift of musical arts practices and the historical and current roles of tshigombela in communities and classrooms in Limpopo that are ensuring its legacy in the greater Venda musical culture.

Du kraal à la salle de classe: en déplacent la pratique des arts musicaux de la communauté vers l’école avec la réference spéciale d’apprendre tshigombela à Limpopo, Afrique du Sud

En Afrique du Sud, le programme des Arts et d’Education culturelle a soumis une transformation immense et continue à impacter et à influencer le rôle de pratiques d’arts musicaux dans la vie des enfants tout au long du pays. Dans des arrondissements distincts du département de Limpopo en particulier, les pratiques musicales de la culture Venda ont été integrées à la salle de classe comme un moyen de révitaliser et de régénérer des formes de musique qui ont été historiquement noircies par les missionaires et le gouvernement apartheid. Le genre de danse et de performance appellé tshigombela est un example et au présent est une pratique musicale prédominante qui illustre comment une forme musicale peut être préservée en étant déplacé du milieu de la communauté vers la salle de classe sanctionée par le gouvernement. Cet article va explorer ce déplacement de conscience des pratiques des arts musicaux et les rôles historique et courant du tshigombela dans les communautés et les salles de classe à Limpopo, rassurant ainsi sa légalité chez la grande culture musicale Venda.

Vom Kraal ins Klassenzimmer: Verschiebung von musikalischer Praktik von der Gemeinschaft in die Schule, mit speziellem Augenmerk auf das Erlernen von tshigombela in Limpopo, Südafrika

In Südafrika hat sich der Kunst und Kulturlehrplan deutlich verändert und wirkt und beeinflusst weiterhin im ganzen Land die Rolle der musikalischen Praktik im Leben der Kinder. Insbesondere in spezifischen Bezirken der Provinz Limpopo werden musikalische Praktiken der Venda Kultur ins Klassenzimmer integriert, mit dem Ziel musikalische Formen die historisch durch Missionare und die Apartheit Regierung verunglimpft, wurden wieder zu beleben und wieder herzustellen. Ein entsprechendes Beispiel ist das Tanz- und Aufführungsgenre, das als tshigombela bekannt ist und an dem gegenwärtig beobachtet werden kann, wie es möglich ist, eine musikalische Form zu erhalten indem sie von einem Gemeinschaftsumfeld in einen, durch die Regierung sanktionierten Klassenzimmer-Kontext verschoben wird. Dieses Paper wird diese bewusste Verschiebung von musikalischer Praktik, wie auch die historischen und gegenwärtigen Rollen die tshigombela in der Gemeinschaft und den Klassenzimmern in Limpopo spielt und die sein Vermächtnis im Rahmen der Musikkultur der Venda sicher stellen, untersuchen.

Del corral afrikáner kraal al aula: Trasladando las prácticas artístico-musicales de la comunidad a la escuela, con especial referencia al aprendizaje de la danza tshigombela en Limpopo, Suráfrica

En Suráfrica, el currículo para las Artes y la Cultura ha experimentado cambios inmensos y continúa afectando e influenciando el papel que juegan las prácticas artístico-musicales en las vidas de los niños de todo el país. En algunos distritos de la provincia de Limpopo, se están integrando las prácticas musicales de la cultura Venda en el aula escolar como un medio de revitalizar y regenerar formas musicales que históricamente han sido denigradas por misioneros y por el apartheid. El estilo y la danza conocidas como tshigombela es tan sólo un ejemplo de esta denostación que en la actualidad se ha convertido en una práctica musical predominante y que ilustra cómo una forma musical puede preservarse llevándola de la comunidad a las aulas educativas oficiales. Este artículo investiga este cambio consciente de las prácticas artístico-musicales así como las funciones históricas y contemporáneas de la tshigombela en comunidad y aulas de Limpopo que están asegurando a su vez todo el legado de la cultura musical Venda.

Keywords

children musical arts South Africa tshigombela Venda

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