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

11.1 Tracing the Historical Roots: the Process of a Traditional Zulu Wedding
Figure 11.5: The bride's parry (umthimba) wedding in Izingolweni area,
April28, 2001
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The wedding ceremony is
completed when the bride
dances her znkondlo kamakoti.
This is the bride's "principal
wedding dance and its performance
represents an important
moment in a woman's
life".20 This is a proud mo­
ment for the bride as she
graduates from one peer
group to the next. The performance
of the inkondlo
marks her transition from
girlhood to womanhood.
Moreover, this dance is an
opportunity for demonstrating
her musicality (ubugagu).
Finally, the term ukusinelwa (to
be danced for) refers to both
the successful performance of the inkondlo and consequently the completion of the wedding ceremony.21
Wedding songs are an integral part of a wedding to the present day, as Fakazi confIrms: ''A
traditional wedding without them is not complete. Even if people are in white with black tie, because
they come from the church, they do it. The choir will sing this kind of music with movements".22
Fakazi goes on to give a lively account of the proceedings of the wedding day, which is worth
. . full 23
quottng ill :
When they are talking about lobola, it's very quiet ceremony... [Later], during the wedding ceremony
which usually starts on a Friday, with the slaughtering of the beasts, there will be the group from the
groom's side and the group from the bride's side, trying to out-sing each other - that's wedding songs.
They even walk to each other and then they mix. You see, you have to concentrate, they are really
walking to each other, and you knO\v, you lose your song. It's sort of competition. If a choir has got
more bass, then it really will knock the other one out. Because the bass has got power. The shriller voices
- I don't know - maybe it is because the bass underlines the whole song. But the choir with more bass
has got dignity and respect. Oh hey [laughs] just flexing with the other choir - but it is only good spirit.
And then on Saturday just as the bride comes out of the house, they will sing and accompany her to the
car with a lot of ululating. The same thing happens on the other side. And then when they are going to
the church you know it's this 'na na na na na' and they are singing and doing the ceremony. After that
then it starts again. But there is a ceremony at the wedding where the bride is been now accepted into the
family of the groom. It's a very serious ceremony that one. She has to dance and then they talk and then
they say a little bit about her, what sort of person she is: is she healthy, does she have a problem... If
you have problems, come to us, we will show you how to treat these things. You see. This is where the
truth is said. This is usually done at the kraal in the rural areas, but in the townships, it's just in the yard.
And when that is done, then they start out-singing each other. Then everybody is dancing, and the bride
will dance her last dance with her old family and her friends who are not married. Because now she won't
20 R. Joseph, "Zulu Women's Music". African Music (1989): 69-70.
21 See E. Pewa, 1995: 80-1.
22 Personal communication with Zakhele Fakazi, Marianhill, November 5,1999.
23 See also L. H. Samuelson, Zululand: its Traditions, Legends, Customs and Folklore (Durban, Griggs and Co., 1974): 113££