African Indigenous Performances, Collective Memory, and Identity in Post-apartheid uMlazi Township, South Africa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4963471 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Fidelis Joseph Udo (0000-0003-2802-3805, Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science, corresponding author), Maheshvari Naidu (0000-0003-0398-3834, University of KwaZulu-Natal) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 3424-3441 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Asian and African Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-9096 • E-ISSN: 1745-2538 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00219096251376660 |
| OpenAlex | W4414768188 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 50 |
What unfolds when performative cultural production becomes both a conduit for collectively remembering the past and a map for (re)-imagining identity and belonging among residents in a fractured and contested space of a post-apartheid South African township? Drawing on ethnographic observation and semi-structured interviews among residents of uMlazi Township, this paper addresses the above question by exploring the role that African intangible cultural performances play in shaping collective memory and reconfiguring collective identity and belonging among individuals navigating the highly segregated and fraught urban landscape, imbued with socio-spatial historical dynamics. For Zulu performers and uMlazi residents, these practices are not just cultural and artistic expressions; they are palimpsestic and historied practices, imbued with shared memories of apartheid injustices. We argue that the palimpsestic nature of the performances makes them more powerful reservoir for creatively crafting shared experience and forging a sense of collective identity and community within the township. The paper contributes to the broader discourse on intangible heritage in post-apartheid [South] African urban space
Collective identity · Collective memory · Ethnography · Identity (music · Indigenous · Performative utterance · Zulu · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · South African History and Culture
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How Modernity Forgets
The City and Self-Identity
The Human Experience of Space and Place
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Street Names and Statues
Landscape of Memory
Place Attachment
Place-identity
The Problem of Colonialism
A review of place identity studies in post-apartheid South Africa
Remembering to Prevent
Invoking “collective memory”
Reinventing urban South Africa through global-Africanisation
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Democratic Renovations and Affective Political Imaginaries
The hustle economy
From Main Reef to Albertina Sisulu Road
The urban renewal programme as an area-based approach to renew townships
The Social Construction of a Sense of Place
Ethnic Disparities in Access to Care in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Self-categorisation, commitment to the group and group self-esteem as related but distinct aspects of social identity
Basic infrastructure for socio-economic development, environmental protection and geographical desegregation
Indigenous music sustainability during climate change
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Collective Memory and Cultural Difference
Displacing place-identity
Long-Run Effects of Forced Resettlement
Masculinity and affect
The long shadow of apartheid
Zulu Masculinities, Warrior Culture and Stick Fighting
Comprehensive segregation
Soft Masculinities,Isicathamiyaand Radio
The Past Is Far and the Future Is Far
Social memory and ritual performance
Finding space in the field of masculinity
Memory and Identity in South Africa
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |