Faculty of Humanities
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
0215594h
ameck98@yahoo.com / Music has always played an important role in the lives of mankind; the quest for
freedom by black people across the world is a typical example. During the days of
slavery and later the civil rights struggle in the US, the struggle for independence by
African states and the fight against Apartheid, music was used as an instrument of
resistance. Through music, black South Africans emerged from conscious and
subconscious subjugation to rescue their psyche from alienation. Today they express
their cultural self-confidence in ways very different from the generations with firsthand
experience of apartheid. Conflict has always been an important contributor to
music of resistance. Over the past hundred years, however, violent attempts by men to
dominate each another have intensified (The two Great Wars and the Cold War,
genocides, ethnic and religious clashes). In this same vein, so too have efforts to
thwart such attempts. Conflicts exist at all levels, within and between individuals,
communities, nations and cultures. For a society still in the process of transformation,
conflict in South Africa has also taken a new dimension with focus now on social
conflict (for example Crime, drugs, poverty and the generation gap) in the field of
daily life also including racial conflict, affirmative action, ethnic conflict, economic
conflict and others with less and less focus on political conflict. The benefit of post-
1994 South Africa is the freedom of expression it offers. This is a freedom that, 20
years ago, was a luxury for blacks living in a country torn apart by apartheid; a
freedom to have pride in themselves, a freedom to express their cultural selfconfidence.
The first place this freedom became visible was on the music scene in the
form of new infectious, irresistible form of dance and music. Musicians use their
music as a medium to demonstrate most of these societal conflicts that exist in South
Africa. Peace researchers, peace workers, and others have worked over several
decades to promote an alternative culture and an alternative approach to dealing with
conflicts – one based on recognising the positive, constructive, and creative
opportunities available in any conflict situation. In this regard I would like to dwell on
music as a creative way of dealing with conflict.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/1778 |
| Date | 16 November 2006 |
| Creators | Ameck, Gillian Ayong |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 421327 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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