South African Choral Music (Amakwaya): Song, Contest and the ...

11.1 Tracing the Historical Roots: the Process of a Traditional Zulu Wedding
Figure 11.3: Wedding in IzingohJJeni area,
arrival of the bride'sparry, April28, 2001
wedding".12 Competitive group singing and choral dancing occur at the culmination of traditional
Zulu wedding ceremony. For this occasion, known as ukwaba, choral groups representing the bride
and bridegroom's families perform their own repertoire of songs simultaneously, each family
striving to outdo the other in artistic excellence.
The wedding ceremony provides an opportunity to take sides, either with the bride's party (umthimba),
or with the groom's party (ikhetho). These names are also used when referring to the two
opposing choral groups for the day. The group that elicits the greatest amount of excitement and
support from the bridal couple and their guests is usually judged to be the winner. 13 Ululation (ukulilizela
or ukukikiza) is commonly recognised as a gauge of success. Other factors are the number of
dancers the groups attract and the amount of time the couple spend with each competing group.
Mzilikazi Khumalo remembers that the guests at the wedding ceremony
used to indicate their appreciation... [by awarding a] small present - a little sweet or a handkerchief or
whatever. And you know in a sense that was very interesting because in a sense it indicated the appreciation
of the audience of the two choirs. And the choir that got the most gifts was the winning choir for
the day. You didn't need an adjudicator, the people had adjudicated. 14
On some occasions "the choir with the shorter repertoire, that is, the choir which starts to repeat
items already sung, is then proclaimed the losing choir, and the one with more repertoire is a
winning choir".15 Besides performing new compositions, the choirs change and improve songs that
have been performed at previous weddings. As Linda Mngoma says, they "try to change old songs
and produce a different version in order to excite people next time".16
12 M. XuIu, 1989: 130.
13 E. Pewa, 1995: 88-89.
14 Personal communication with Mzilikazi Khumalo,]ohannesburg, SAMRO,]uIy 18, 2000.
15 M. Xulu, 1989: 123-124.
16 Personal communication with Linda Mngoma,]ohannesburg, SABC, February, 16,2001.
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