Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 1991. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A song has to be accepted by the community, must form part of the oral tradition and be handed
over from one generation to the next, before it can be called a folk song. In the process of oral
tradition, variants usually develop. A folk song is therefore never complete the moment it is
created, but is formed gradually through a process of changes.
The Afrikaans folk song sung by the coloured people has the same characteristics as the folk
song in general. The fact that oral tradition is the major way of spreading songs, is evident from
the many variants that occur and from the examples of transformation of words and melody
("Umsingen"and "Zersingen"). Simplicity, the use of the major key and the avoidance of
modulation are prominent characteristics. Suggestiveness and coarse language are fairly
common. Melismata are very rare and usually occur in songs which probably have their origin in
old Afrikaans records.
Most of the songs collected amongst coloured children are used to accompany games. The children
seldom sing without playing or play without singing. Most variants are found amongst children's
songs.
Dancing songs are without a doubt the most popular amongst the songs of adults. The form of
the stanzas is very simple and usually the songs consist of many stanzas. A small percentage of
the songs collected, more or less 5%, presumably originate from old Afrikaans grammophone
records. Most of these songs have been transformed by popular usage and even amongst them
variants have been found. The main themes of this group of songs are love, parting, grief and
death.
Picnic songs, work songs, war songs and drinking songs have been found. Humoristic and
mocking songs contribute to the entertainment value of the folk song and are also found
amongst the coloured people.
Because there is so much interaction between sacred songs and secular songs, especially
where the melodies are concerned, the two groups cannot always be separated from each other.
The sacred songs of the coloured people are mostly of the "refrain"-type. When a group of
coloured people perform the sacred songs, they usually harmonise spontaneously and most
beautifully.
The fact that so much has been said and written on the subject of the folk song, and that even in
recent years substantial research projects have been carried out, is proof enough that the folk
song has not yet died out. The Afrikaans folk song features strongly amongst coloured people,
though noticeably influenced by the English language, modern technology and urbanisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Volkslied is 'n lied wat deur die gemeenskap aanvaar is, mondelings versprei word en op dieselfde
wyse van geslag tot geslag oorgelewer word en waarvan daar in die prosesse variante
ontstaan. 'n Volkslied is dus nie voltooi die oomblik dat die eerste vorm geskep is nie, maar word
deur 'n langsame proses geleidelik gevorm en omvorm.
Die Afrikaanse volkslied wat deur die bruinmense gesing word, toon dieselfde kenmerke as die
volkslied in die algemeen. Daar is tekens van mondelinge oorlewering wat veral weerspieel word
deur die baie variante wat aangetref word, sowel as talle voorbeelde van verbrokkeling en ver~
vorming ("Umsingen" en "Zerzingen"). Eenvoud in woord en melodie is opvallend. Die majeurtoonaard,
met vermyding van modulasie, kom feitlik deurgaans voor. Suggestiwiteit en growwe
taal is redelik algemeen. Melismes kom selde voor en dan meestal by liedere wat waarskynlik
van ou Afrikaanse plate kom.
By die opnames onder bruin kinders is gevind dat die oorgrote meerderheid liedere wat hulle
sing, een of ander vorm van spel begelei. Hulle sing selde sonder om te speel, en hulle speel
selde sonder om te sing. Die meeste variante van liedere word ook by die kinders aangetref.
By die liedere van volwassenes is die danslied ongetwyfeld die gewildste. Die meeste daarvan
bestaan uit kort, eenvoudige strofes met baie strofes in een lied. 'n Klein persentasie van die liedere
wat versamel is, ongeveer 5%, is vermoedelik van ou Afrikaanse grammofoonplate afkomstig.
Die meeste daarvan het baie vervorm in die volksmond en selfs daarvan is variante aangetref.
Die temas van hierdie groep liedere handel hoofsaaklik oor die liefde, afskeid, hartseer en
die dood.
Voorbeelde van piekniek-, arbeids- en oorlogsliedere, sowel as enkele drinkliedere en doprympies
is aangetref. Die humoristiese lied en spotlied dra by tot die vermaaklikhiedsfunksie van die
volkslied en kom ook by die bruinmense voor.
Die gewyde of geestelike lied kan nie altyd streng van die wereldlike lied geskei word nie. Daar is
te veel wisselwerking tussen die twee groepe, veral wat wysies betref. Die gewyde liedere wat by
die bruinmense,aangetref is, is meestal van die sogenaamde "koortjie"-tipe. 'n Kenmerk van hulle
gewyde sang is dat wanneer dit deur 'n groep gesing word, dit altyd meerstemmig is met
pragtige harmoniee wat op natuurlike wyse gedoen word.
Die feit dat daar al so baie oor die volkslied geskryf is en selfs onlangs nog omvatteride studies
daaroor die lig gesien het, is bewys dat die volklied nog nie uitgesterf het nie. Daar is bewys dat
die Afrikaanse volkslied onder die bruinmense baie sterk staan, hoewel Engelse invloed duidelik
merkbaar is en tekens van moderne ontwikkeling en verstedeliking onmiskenbaar waargeneem
kanword.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/69145 |
| Date | January 1991 |
| Creators | Burden, Matilda |
| Contributors | Grobbelaar, P. W., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Cultural History. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 748 p. : music |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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