Pop singer as healer
The use of Xhosa lyrics as cultural self-realization
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2172950 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tessa Dowling (0000-0002-5547-2924), Kathryn Stinson |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 177-188 |
| Publication date | 2011-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of African Cultural Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-6815 • E-ISSN: 1469-9346 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13696815.2012.638021 |
| OpenAlex | W2060289394 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 10 |
This article examines the significance of the vocation to divinership (ukuthwasa) for a contemporary Xhosa Afro-soul artist. We explore the singer's calling and the way in which she blurs the boundaries between what it means to be a traditional Xhosa healer and what it means to be a contemporary singer who chooses to sing in Xhosa about Xhosa cultural practices. The healing power of the vernacular is not explicitly declared, although her lyrics suggest that it is through singing in Xhosa that she can best realize her potential as a healer. We demonstrate that the singer's choice of a culturally specific non-secular lexicon firmly situates her within an ideological framework that underscores a commitment to, and belief in, a social experience specific to Xhosa healers. We further examine the disjuncture created by the absence of a traditional divination musical style in songs which nevertheless overtly declare an allegiance to a spiritual journey marked by a particular musical tradition. Finally we question the relevance and significance of the diviner calling to young, urban Xhosa speakers and their reaction to a popular singer making her calling public through her music. Keywords: CamagwiniSiphokazi Butiukuthwasasangomadivinerdiviner musicXhosa traditionXhosa cultureXhosa languagevernacular lyricsAfro-soul, musical syncretism Acknowledgements Grateful thanks to Velile Sithole at Native Rhythms Productions for her generous assistance and encouragement. [email protected]. Notes
Aesthetics · Art · Epistemology · Ethnomusicology · Linguistics · Literature · Lyrics · Musical · Sociology · Soul · Syncretism (linguistics · Xhosa · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Music History and Culture · South African History and Culture · History · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,25 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2022 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |