The sound of the vuvuzela "can be music to the ears"
Should the vuvuzela be forbidden? Many journalists and players have spoken out in favour of a ban. Our Observer says there is another solution: learning how to play the instrument. He knows what he’s talking about; he started the “Vuvuzela Orchestra”. Read more...
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Image posted on the website of the Vuvuzela Orchestra.
Should the vuvuzela be forbidden? Many journalists and players have spoken out in favour of a ban. Our Observer says there is another solution: learning how to play the instrument. He knows what he’s talking about; he started the “Vuvuzela Orchestra”.
The controversy surrounding the vuvuzela grows with each match that passes. The head of the South African World Cup Organising Committee, Danny Jordaan, suggested on June 13 that these plastic trumpets could be banned from matches if a competing team complained. The president of the International Federation of Football (FIFA), Sepp Blatter, denied the notion the following day. In a message on Twitter, Blatter called for fans to respect the musical tradition of the fans wielding the instrument: “I always said that Africa had a different rhythm, a different sound”.
The Vuvuzela Orchestra in action
The Vuvuzela Orchestra organises rehearsals before each match, where they play to enthusiastic crowds. Video posted on YouTube by PEDROMUSICMAN on December 19, 2009.
A group of vuvuzelas modified in size by the Vuvuzela Orchestra. All images were published on the site of the Vuvuzela Orchestra.
The first training session for South African fans took place in November 2007 a few days before the match pitting Bafana Bafana against the US. Video posted on YouTube by PEDROMUSICMAN on December 12, 2007.
"By modifying the size of our vuvuzelas, we can get up to seven different sounds"
Pedro Espi Sanchis is the head of the Vuvuzela Orchestra. He organises training sessions for fans who wish to learn how to play the instrument.
Fans were already using the vuvuzela in the Confederations Cup in 2009. At the time, we were playing against Spain, and the Spanish criticised it a lot, but a lot of fans went home with vuvuzelas under their arms anyway.
We understand that players and the media are complaining about the noise of the vuvuzelas. It’s a very noisy instrument for people who aren’t used to it, and it can be very bothersome. But the musical heritage of this World Cup 2010 will in fact be the sound of these vuvuzelas.
They allow for African rhythms to be played and can also be used to accompany fans when they sing in the stadiums. For the past three years, we’ve had a vuvuzela orchestra, and the instruments have been made longer or shorter depending on the desired sound. We can get up to seven different sounds. We apply the democratic principle of “one person, one note”.
We were not invited to play in the stadiums during the World Cup. We are therefore going to play in private parties or in parks where matches are broadcast on big screens.
I don’t think the banning of vuvuzelas is a good idea. It’s too late. But TV cameras can still seek out groups that know how to play the vuvuzela in rhythm and record the sound during matches. That way, TV viewers will discover that the sound of vuvuzelas can be very pleasant to the ear."