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Musical Bows of Southern Africa brings together current scholarly research that documents a rich regional diversity as well as cultural relationships in bow music knowledge and contemporary practices. The book is framed as a critical appraisal of traditional ethnomusicological studies of the region - complementing pioneering studies and charting contexts for a contemporary engagement with bow music as an exchangeable cultural practice. Each contribution is written by an expert in the field and collectively demonstrates the multidisciplinary potential of bow music, highlighting the several fields of knowledge that intersect with bow music including ethno-organology, applied ethnomusicology, composition, music literacy, social development, cultural economics, history, orality, performance and language.
List of contents
Preface
1. A Brief Introduction to Musical Bows in Southern Africa
Bernhard Bleibinger (University of Fort Hare, South Africa)
2. Chipendani (Mouth Bow) – the Origin of the Shona Mbira Harmonic System and of Andrew Tracey’s ‘Basic KalimbaCore’ with an Appendix on the Venda Tshihwana
Klaus-Peter Brenner (University of Göttingen, Germany)
3. Musical Bows of Namibia
Dave Dargie (independent scholar)
4. Umakhweyana and ugubhu Zulu musical bows as inkokha, imvingo, inkohlisa, uqwabe and isiqwemqwemana
Sazi Dlamini (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa)
5. The Social Dynamics of Three Zimbabwean Musical Bows: The Chipendani, Mukube, and Ground-bow
Jennifer W. Kyker (University of Rochester, USA)
6. The Sitontolo Mouthbow of eSwatini: Embodiment, Stories and Music
Cara Stacey (independent scholar) and Vusi Sibandze (independent scholar)
7. Musical Bows of the AmaXhosa
David Dargie (independent scholar)
8. Eastern Kalahari Bow Music
Jürgen Schöpf (La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia)
Contributor Biographies
Index
About the author
Sazi Dlamini is a lecturer in musicology at University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His scholarly and performance interests include indigenous musical bows, South African popular music history, free-improvisation, new music and children’s indigenous musical performance. He composes and performs on ugubhu, umakhweyana, umqangala and uhadi musical bows and builds flutes, traditional harps from bamboo, reed, horn, calabash and recycled materials. He is founder of the International Bow Music Conference and Insurrections Ensemble and is currently Senior Research Fellow for the ReCentering AfroAsia Project.Sazi Dlamini is a lecturer in musicology at University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His scholarly and performance interests include indigenous musical bows, South African popular music history, free-improvisation, new music and children’s indigenous musical performance. He composes and performs on ugubhu, umakhweyana, umqangala and uhadi musical bows and builds flutes, traditional harps from bamboo, reed, horn, calabash and recycled materials. He is founder of the International Bow Music Conference and Insurrections Ensemble and is currently Senior Research Fellow for the ReCentering AfroAsia Project.
Summary
Musical Bows of Southern Africa brings together current scholarly research that documents a rich regional diversity as well as cultural relationships in bow music knowledge and contemporary practices. The book is framed as a critical appraisal of traditional ethnomusicological studies of the region – complementing pioneering studies and charting contexts for a contemporary engagement with bow music as an exchangeable cultural practice. Each contribution is written by an expert in the field and collectively demonstrates the multidisciplinary potential of bow music, highlighting the several fields of knowledge that intersect with bow music including ethno-organology, applied ethnomusicology, composition, music literacy, social development, cultural economics, history, orality, performance and language.
Foreword
An overview of the theory and practice of musical bows in Southern Africa with emphasis on contemporary practices.
