Understanding the Importance of Reviving the Forgotten and Marginalised Khoisan Indigenous Music in South Africa: A Content Analysis

Sakhiseni Joseph Yende ORCID iD

Issue: Vol.5  No.6 Issue Article 15 pp.990-1000
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245615 |   Published online 19th  June, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Framed within the Sociomusicology Theory, this article argued that through the revival of Khoisan indigenous music, South Africa can promote social cohesion, bridging gaps between different ethnic groups and creating a more inclusive society. The Khoisan people, also known as Bushmen or San, are one of the oldest indigenous groups in Africa, and their music is an integral part of their identity and history. However, Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa has been forgotten and marginalised. This can be attributed to various factors including colonialism. In recent years, there has been a quest for revitalising the overlooked and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa. Notwithstanding, minimal attention has been given to reviving the forgotten and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa and this has become a matter of great concern. This article thus sought to understand the importance of reviving the forgotten and marginalised Khoisan indigenous music in South Africa. In this article, a qualitative content analysis was employed to successfully analyse the purpose of this paper. The findings demonstrated that the extinction of Khoisan indigenous music is attributed to various historical, social, and cultural factors, including colonialism, cultural assimilation, and modernisation. The paper concluded by affirming that the Khoisan indigenous music holds a deep cultural significance for the Khoisan people and South Africa as a whole. It serves as a potent vehicle for the expression and preservation of their great connection to nature, spiritual beliefs, and rich cultural history.

Keywords: Culture, Extinction, Khoisan Indigenous Music, Marginalised, Sociomusicology Theory

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Dr. Sakhiseni Joseph Yende, an accomplished emerging scholar at the University of Western Cape, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of African Language Studies. His influential contributions extend across the performing arts, particularly opera, and include significant achievements in supervising students in Dance, Vocal Arts, and Musical Theatre. Dr Yende’s broad research portfolio spans musicology, ethnomusicology, music education, African music, linguistics, gospel music, opera, political sciences, and education. With over 45 articles published in DHET accredited journals, numerous book chapters, and presentations at various conferences, he showcases a dedicated commitment to advancing knowledge within the performing arts.

Yende, Sakhiseni Joseph. “Understanding the Importance of Reviving the Forgotten and Marginalised Khoisan Indigenous Music in South Africa: A Content Analysis,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.6 (2024): 990-1000. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245615

© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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