Buildings tell us a great deal about civilisation. Where a kitchen is situated in relation to the rest of a house; how close homes are built to each other; whether there are quarters for livestock close by – architecture offers us a multitude of clues about how people live or lived. Nearly half of the … Read more
While music is a feature of all cultures it is particularly prominent in KwaZulu-Natal where an inherent sense of rhythm, song and dance features prominently in daily life. Whether it’s to woo a prospective love, to praise a higher being, or to celebrate the joining of two families, music always plays an important role, as … Read more
The stories written by our Ulwazi fieldworkers this month had a definite theme to them – music! Singing and dancing have always been an integral part of life in KZN. This month our fieldworkers looked at everything from maskandi music to more traditional choir songs, with a bit of poetry thrown in for good measure! … Read more
As with all cultures, Zulu-speaking people have a number of ceremonies associated with death. Ihlambo is a cleansing ceremony that closes the period of mourning for a deceased. Traditionally, part of the ceremony would involve a hunt, with the prey slaughtered and eaten by the mourners. Today the meat is often bought, rather than hunted, but the tradition … Read more
It is claimed that Eskimos have fifty different words that they use for describing snow, something that forms an integral part of their day to day lives. This month our fieldworkers looked at the subtleties of language, amongst other things, with a focus on synonyms. Nkosikhona Duma wrote an article that looked specifically at the different words … Read more
As we commemorate Human Rights Month in South Africa, we look at some of the stories covered by our fieldworkers during this important time of the year. The events of the fateful day of the 21st March 1960 are discussed by Nkosikhona Duma, with a focus on the role that music played in the fight against … Read more