Where Did The Vuvuzela Come From?

The Vuvzela has recently been the focus of international discussion; it has become the accessory of the 2010 World Cup football tournament in South Africa. But the origin of the loud, lengthy horn is a topic of controversy. Its origin is commonly disputed as it is difficult to determine a point at which the horn was introduced but there are several parties that claim its invention.

The world Vuvuzela is itself disputed as some claim it comes from a Zulu word meaning 'to make noise' while others argue that it comes from a township slang phrase meaning 'shower'. It is unknown whether this origin regards showering people with noise or perhaps using part of a shower as an instrument.

The most historical claim is that the Vuvu comes from a variation of the Kudu horns used by African tribes in battle and worship. The claim would suggest that the instrument has roots dating back hundreds or even thousands of years deeply rooted in African culture. However this claim has no real historical backing and is not considered credible.

The Nazareth Baptist Church of South African have made sweeping claims they invented the instrument at the turn of the 20th Century and it has been used in their worship ever since. Their claim has been disputed as although the horn has been actively used and recognised in South African football for several decades, they only raised the issue early in 2010. They argue that as a sacred instrument used in worship, it should not be allowed to be used in sporting events with no religious relevance. Leaders of the church have threatened legal action against the FIFA if they do not stop fans playing the instrument during matches.

South African football fan Freddie Maake claims to have invented the instrument in 1965 when adapting a bicycle horn, he later crafted a longer version from aluminium which he took to many local games and international events. Maake has pictures of himself dating back to the 1970s to support his claim and he even took it to the 1998 world cup in France. There is no doubt he was using a vuvuzela horn as far back as 1970 but still no hard evidence to support the claim that he invented it. The exact same horn was recorded being used in the 1978 world cup in Argentina, a country Maake had never visited but the instruments directly resemble that of his 1965 aluminium creation.

When ex -professional football player Neil van Schalkwyk founded of Masincedane Sports he patented the design and mass produced a plastic version of the horn to market to local football fans but he had no idea it would be as popular as it has been. So far, Masincedane Sports has sold over 600,000 vuvuzelas, 100,000 of which were in the first week of the 2010 World Cup.

There is huge controversy over the use of the instrument in the game as it provides a loud, continuous drone that has proved unpopular with many international fans in South Africa and watching on television around the world. Opinion is torn fairly evenly and there is yet to be a ruling on whether the vuvuzelas will continue to be allowed at the events. FIFA CEO Dr Danny Jordaan stated that "2010 will be the loudest world cup ever; South Africa hopes that the Vuvuzela will be recognised as a unique part of what will be a very special African world cup celebration." Time will tell if the instruments will be used in other countries but international sales of the vuvuzela are in the millions, with only a handful of clubs and stadiums proposing to ban them at future events.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

About the Author

Wearer of the renowned Adidas Adizero Lionel Messi has stated he loves the atmosphere the Vuvuzela creates and would love to see it transfer to club football. Could we end up seeing crowds of fans in Manchester United Football Shirts making the noise next season?

by: Tom Doerr

Total views: 4 Word Count: 617 Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 Time: 1:05 PM - 0 comments

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