South Africa Art, Music and Sport

South Africa – Art, Music and Sport

South Africa is home to some of the most ancient and beautiful art in the world. It can be proud of having the largest number of rock paintings. The first rock paintings by the San people are about 40 000 years old. During the colonial era, the British and the Dutch artists concentrated on depicting the landscape of South Africa to show it to the rest of the world. So the white settlers dominated the art scene and it took a long time before black South Africans became professional artists. Just until the 1950’s the black artists became famous for their “Town-Ship Art”.

San rock painting showing a band of hunters. KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ta/tab.html

In the early years of apartheid black artists were largely neglected again. But they protested with their pictures. But South African art is not just painting. The South Africans are very talented in making bowls, masks, chairs and animal carvings. The counties most important art museum is the South African National Gallery in central Cape Town.

Music has always been very important for South Africans. The San people were the first musicians in South Africa. Singing was a natural part of life and they had a song for all occasions. They also made drums, flutes and rattles. In the Dutch colonial era indigenous tribes people and slaves imported from the east adapted Western musical instruments and ideas. Traditionally, African music consists of a few phrases that are repeated again and again. The music changed, because the black people decided to make its style different. They began to experiment with new sounds and improvisations. This music became very popular and Soweto („South Western Townships“) produced some popular musicians like Miriam Makeba, Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela. Miriam Makeba http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Makeba They are all jazz musicians, who have become known to an international audience. To get away from apartheid they’ve left South Africa. South Africa has a lot of traditional music forms, and many national and international stars have been born from these traditions. Vusi Mahlasela is known around the world for his pure singing voice and message of peace and reconciliation. Today, most of the exiled musician are back in South Africa and they are still active.

Sport is the national religion in South Africa and it unites the country. Whenever a South African team wins, they celebrate the hole day. They almost freak out. South Africa is a land of sporting opportunities. You can choose between cricket, rugby, soccer, golf, athletics etc. The most loved sport is soccer. South Africa is chosen to make the arrangements for the FIFA World Champion Chip in 2010. In the German Bundesliga plays a member of the national team of South Africa, his name is Delron Buckley, he is contracted by the Borussia Dortmund team.

Delron Buckley (R) of South Africa and Kington Laryea (L) of Ghana try to get the ball in a World Cup qualifier match in Johannesburg 18June 2005. http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/fr/photos/?aid=96537&d=1

During the apartheid era the black people weren’t allowed to do sport in a sports club, because the sport was racially segregated. Only the white sports clubs received support from the government. For that reason the sport unions around the world agreed that South African teams weren’t allowed to join international competitions. In 1992 the country returned to the Olympics for the first time since it was forbidden to participate 32 years earlier. Josiah Thugwane became the first black South African in 1996 to win a gold medal, because he won the marathon. That was one of three gold medals . The swimmer Penny Heyns won the 100 and 200 metre breaststroke. Josiah Thugwane http://www1.odn.ne.jp/aaj50390/FamousSA.ht