Posted on Saturday, 26th June 2010 by Tom Doerr
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 origin of the word is in itself victim of much dispute; 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’. Whether this origin regards showering people with noise or perhaps using part of a shower as a horn is unknown.
Some have a theory that the Vuvu is a variation of the Kudu horn used in battle and worship by various African tribes. This would suggest that the instrument has roots dating back hundreds or even thousands of years deeply rooted in African culture but so far it is not considered credible as there is no evidence.
Another claim comes from the Nazareth Baptist Church of South African who claims they invented the instrument and it has been used in their worship as a sacred instrument since the turn of the 20th century. 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 heads of FIFA to stop fans playing the instrument during matches.
Freddie Maake, a South African football fan claims to have invented the instrument in 1965 by adapting a bicycle horn; he later crafted a longer version from aluminium which became his instrument of choice at many local games and international events. Maake can support his claims with pictures of himself dating back to the 1970s. He even took it to the 1998 world cup in France where it was confiscated as a security risk. 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 inexplicably 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.
The loud, continuous drone the vuvuzela produces has proved unpopular with many visiting football fans in South Africa and even more watching on television around the world. Opinion is torn fairly evenly officials are yet to outlaw it at the competition. 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.
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?
Tags: football, instrument, music, soccer, south africa, world cup
Posted in soccer | Comments (0)