The Bapedi is an ethnic group in South Africa whose traditional music is not welldocumented.
For this article, 31 traditional Pedi religious songs from 11 elderly Bapedi
women in Sekhukhune, Limpopo Province, South Africa were collected and analysed. They
were analysed using religious, musicological and contextual perspectives, and two choruses
were selected. Eight Sepedi-speaking children from a school choir at Baxoxele Primary School
in Soshanguve were observed whilst learning these two choruses. Repetition was used as
a powerful, rhetorical and expressive device, skilfully employed to express and internalise
faith and to impart dominant emotions. Informal discussions with teachers indicated that the
children showed an improvement in their concentration and attitude to schoolwork. Learning
these two choruses also unlocked some creative talent and improved their social skills. The
joyous nature, rhythmic foundation, harmonic simplicity, and combination of intellect and
emotion as well as the repetitiveness and briefness of these songs appealed to both children
and adults. It was concluded that for the preservation of traditional Pedi religious music
and culture there is an urgent need for the collection and documentation of traditional Pedi
religious songs. In recognising their identity, such songs could contribute to the attitudes
and cultural values of Sepedi-speaking children. Similar projects are suggested for the other
10 language groups in South Africa.
Analisering van tradisionele godsdienstige Pedi-liedere vir gebruik in die laerskool
kurrikulum. Die Bapedi is ’n etniese groep in Suid-Afrika wie se tradisionele musiek nie goedgedokumenteer
is nie. Vir hierdie artikel is 31 tradisionele godsdienstige Pedi-liedere van 11
bejaarde Bapedi vroue in Sekhukhune, Limpopo Provinsie, Suid-Afrika, ingesamel en ontleed.
Hierdie liedere is volgens godsdienstige, musiekwetenskaplike en kontekstuele perspektiewe
ontleed en twee kore uit die liedere is daarna gekies. Agt Sepedi-sprekende kinders van die
Baxoxele Primêre Skool in Soshanguve se skoolkoor, is waargeneem terwyl hulle hierdie twee
kore aangeleer het. Herhaling is gebruik as ’n kragtige, retoriese en betekenisvolle hulpmiddel,
vaardig toegepas om uitdrukking aan geloof te gee en ’n verdieping daarvan te bewerkstellig
sowel as om grootliks emosie daaraan te verleen. Informele gesprekke met onderwysers het
aangedui dat die kinders se konsentrasie en hulle houding teenoor skoolwerk verbeter het.
Die aanleer van hierdie twee kore het ook hulle kreatiwiteitstalent ontsluit en hulle sosiale
vaardighede verbeter. Die vrolike en ritmiese aard, harmoniese eenvoud, die kombinasie van
intellek en emosie sowel as die herhaling en bondigheid van hierdie kore het ’n effek op kinders
sowel as volwassenes gehad. Die gevolgtrekking was dat daar ’n dringende behoefte is om
soortgelyke liedere te versamel en te dokumenteer met die doel om tradisionele godsdienstige
Pedi-musiek en -kultuur behoue te laat bly. Deur erkenning te gee aan die aard van sulke
liedere kan bygedra word tot ’n positiewe houding van Sepedi-sprekende kinders teenoor
kulturele waardes. Soortgelyke projekte vir liedere van die ander 10 taalgroepe in Suid-Afrika
word voorgestel.
musicological and contextual perspectives
