Black South African urban music since the 1890's: some reminiscences of Alfred Assegai Kumalo (1879-1966)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v7i1.1927Abstract
The main body of this article deals with personal reminiscences and anecdotes many of them relating to music - recounted to me by the renowned Zulu musician, choir-master and composer, the late Mr A. A. Kumalo during two tape-recorded interviews in Edendale, Natal in 1964. This was some two years before he suffered a stroke (in July 1966) from which he never fully recovered. He died peacefully at his home on 9 December 1966, aged 87.References
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Anderson, M. 1981. Music in the Mix: the Story of South African Popular Music. Johannesburg: Ravan Press.
Axelsson, O. 1982. 'The development of African church music in Zimbabwe', in Papers Presented at the Second Symposium on Ethnomusicology, ed. A.Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.2-7.
Clegg, J. 1981. 'The music of Zulu immigrant workers in Johannesburg: a focus on concertina and guitar', in Papers Presented at the Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 10-11 October, 1980, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.2-9.
Coplan, D.B. 1985. In Township Tonight: South Africa's Black City Music and Theatre. London and New York: Longman.
Dargie, D. 1982. 'A theoretical approach to composition in Xhosa style', in Papers Presented at the Second Symposium on Ethnomusicology, ed. A.Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.15-22.
Doke, C.M. and Vilakazi, B.W. 1948. Zulu-English Dictionary. Johannesburg: Wit- watersrand University Press (revised 1953).
Dontsa, L. 1988. 'Performing arts and politics in South Africa', in Papers Presented at the Sixth Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 1-3 October, 1987, ed. A. Tracey. Graham- stown: ILAM, 1988, pp.9-15.
--- 1990. 'Contemporary political performing arts in South Africa'. Ph.D. thesis, SOAS, University of London.
Dube, J.L. and N. [1911?]. Amagama Abantu awe Mishado, Imiququmbelo, Utando, nawe Mikelelo no Kudhlala ['Bantu songs for weddings, dances, love, side-stepping and recreation']. Phoenix [Natal]: Ohlange Institute.
Erlmann, V. 1983. 'Apartheid, African nationalism and culture --the case of traditional African music in black education in South Africa', Perspectives in Education, 3/3, pp.131-154.
Finnegan, Ruth 1970. Oral Literature in Africa. London: OUP.
Gérard, Albert 1971. Four African Literatures. Berkeley.
Hansen, Deirdre D. 1968. The Life and Work of Benjamin Tyamzashe, a Contemporary Xhosa Composer. Grahamstown: Rhodes University Institute of Social & Economic Research, Occasional Paper no.1.
--- 1978. 'The Music of the Xhosa-speaking People'. Ph.D. thesis, University of Witwatersrand.
Hornbostel, Erich M. von 1928. 'African Negro music', Africa, 1, p.42.
Huskisson, Yvonne 1969. Bantu Composers of South Africa. Johannesburg: SABC.
Kahari, G.P. 1981. 'The history of the Shona protest song: a preliminary study', Zambezia, 9, p.2.
Kirby, P.R. 1934. 'The effect of Western civilization on Bantu music', in Westem Civilization and the Natives of South Africa, ed. I. Schapera. London: Routledge.
Kumalo, A.A. 1967. Izingoma zikaKumalo ['Songs of Kumalo', 24 items]. Pietermaritz- burg: Shuter and Shooter.
Marks, Shula 1986. The Ambiguities of Dependence in South Africa: Class, Nationalism, and the State in Twentieth-Century Natal. Johannesburg: Ravan Press.
Mayr, F. 1908. 'A short study on Zulu music', Annals of the Natal Government Museum, 1/2, pp.257-268.
Mngoma, K.V. 1982. 'The correlation of folk and art music among African composers', in Papers Presented at the Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 24-26 September, 1981, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.61-69.
Morris, Donald R. 1966. The Washing of the Spears. London: Jonathan Cape.
Mthethwa, B. 1981. 'Zulu children's songs', in Papers Presented at the Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 10-11 October, 1980, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.23-28.
--- 1988. 'The songs of Alfred A. Kumalo: a study in Nguni and Western musical syncretism', in Papers Presented at the Sixth Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 1-3 October, 1987, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.28-32.
Ngubane, S.S. (ed.) 1959. Amaculo Ezingane Zesikole ['Songs for school children']. Pietermaritzburg: Shuter and Shooter.
Opland, J. 1983. Xhosa Oral Poetry. Cambridge: CUP.
Pongweni, A. 1982. Songs that Won the Liberation Struggle. Harare.
Reed, W.L. and Bristow, MJ. (eds) 1985. National Anthems of the World, 6th edn. London: Blandford.
Rycroft, D. K. 1957. 'Zulu male traditional singing', African Music, 1/4, pp. 33-6.
--- 1959. 'African music in Johannesburg: African and non-African feaures', Journal of the International Folk Music Council, 11, pp. 25-30.
--- 1967. 'Nguni vocal polyphony', Journal of the International Folk Music Council, 19, pp.89-103.
--- 1977. 'Evidence of stylistic continuity in Zulu "town" music', in Essays for a Humanist: an Offering to Klaus Wachsmann. New York: The Town House Press, pp.211-260.
--- 1980.'Nguni music', in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie. London: Macmillan.
--- 1982. 'The relationships between speech-tone and melody in southern African music', in South African Music Encyclopedia, ed. J.P. Malan, vol. 2. Cape Town: OUP, for Human Sciences Research Council, pp.301-14.
Samuelson, R.C. 1929.Long Long Ago. Durban: Knox, reprinted Durban: Griggs, 1974.
Sithole, E.T. 1968. 'Zulu music as a reflection of social change', M.A. thesis, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn.
--- 1978. 'Ngoma music among the Zulu', in The Performing Arts: Music and Dance, eds J. Blacking and J. W. Kealiinohomoku. The Hague: Mouton.
Stapleton, C. and May, C. 1987. African All-Stars: the Pop Music of a Continent. London: Quartet Books.
Sundkler, B. 1948. Bantu Prophets in South Africa. London: Lutterworth, new edn, OUP, 1961.
--- 1976. Zulu Zion and Some Swazi Zionists. London: OUP.
Tracey, H.T. 1948. Lalela Zulu: 100 Zulu Lyrics. Johannesburg: African Music Society.
Webb, C. de B. and Wright, J.B. 1976. The James Stuart Archive of Recorded Oral Evidence Relating to the History of the Zulu and Neighbouring People, vol.1. Pieterma- ritzburg and Durban: University of Natal Press and Killie Campbell Africana Library.
Whiteside, J. 1906. History of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of South Africa. London.
Anderson, M. 1981. Music in the Mix: the Story of South African Popular Music. Johannesburg: Ravan Press.
Axelsson, O. 1982. 'The development of African church music in Zimbabwe', in Papers Presented at the Second Symposium on Ethnomusicology, ed. A.Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.2-7.
Clegg, J. 1981. 'The music of Zulu immigrant workers in Johannesburg: a focus on concertina and guitar', in Papers Presented at the Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 10-11 October, 1980, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.2-9.
Coplan, D.B. 1985. In Township Tonight: South Africa's Black City Music and Theatre. London and New York: Longman.
Dargie, D. 1982. 'A theoretical approach to composition in Xhosa style', in Papers Presented at the Second Symposium on Ethnomusicology, ed. A.Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.15-22.
Doke, C.M. and Vilakazi, B.W. 1948. Zulu-English Dictionary. Johannesburg: Wit- watersrand University Press (revised 1953).
Dontsa, L. 1988. 'Performing arts and politics in South Africa', in Papers Presented at the Sixth Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 1-3 October, 1987, ed. A. Tracey. Graham- stown: ILAM, 1988, pp.9-15.
--- 1990. 'Contemporary political performing arts in South Africa'. Ph.D. thesis, SOAS, University of London.
Dube, J.L. and N. [1911?]. Amagama Abantu awe Mishado, Imiququmbelo, Utando, nawe Mikelelo no Kudhlala ['Bantu songs for weddings, dances, love, side-stepping and recreation']. Phoenix [Natal]: Ohlange Institute.
Erlmann, V. 1983. 'Apartheid, African nationalism and culture --the case of traditional African music in black education in South Africa', Perspectives in Education, 3/3, pp.131-154.
Finnegan, Ruth 1970. Oral Literature in Africa. London: OUP.
Gérard, Albert 1971. Four African Literatures. Berkeley.
Hansen, Deirdre D. 1968. The Life and Work of Benjamin Tyamzashe, a Contemporary Xhosa Composer. Grahamstown: Rhodes University Institute of Social & Economic Research, Occasional Paper no.1.
--- 1978. 'The Music of the Xhosa-speaking People'. Ph.D. thesis, University of Witwatersrand.
Hornbostel, Erich M. von 1928. 'African Negro music', Africa, 1, p.42.
Huskisson, Yvonne 1969. Bantu Composers of South Africa. Johannesburg: SABC.
Kahari, G.P. 1981. 'The history of the Shona protest song: a preliminary study', Zambezia, 9, p.2.
Kirby, P.R. 1934. 'The effect of Western civilization on Bantu music', in Westem Civilization and the Natives of South Africa, ed. I. Schapera. London: Routledge.
Kumalo, A.A. 1967. Izingoma zikaKumalo ['Songs of Kumalo', 24 items]. Pietermaritz- burg: Shuter and Shooter.
Marks, Shula 1986. The Ambiguities of Dependence in South Africa: Class, Nationalism, and the State in Twentieth-Century Natal. Johannesburg: Ravan Press.
Mayr, F. 1908. 'A short study on Zulu music', Annals of the Natal Government Museum, 1/2, pp.257-268.
Mngoma, K.V. 1982. 'The correlation of folk and art music among African composers', in Papers Presented at the Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 24-26 September, 1981, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.61-69.
Morris, Donald R. 1966. The Washing of the Spears. London: Jonathan Cape.
Mthethwa, B. 1981. 'Zulu children's songs', in Papers Presented at the Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 10-11 October, 1980, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.23-28.
--- 1988. 'The songs of Alfred A. Kumalo: a study in Nguni and Western musical syncretism', in Papers Presented at the Sixth Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 1-3 October, 1987, ed. A. Tracey. Grahamstown: ILAM, pp.28-32.
Ngubane, S.S. (ed.) 1959. Amaculo Ezingane Zesikole ['Songs for school children']. Pietermaritzburg: Shuter and Shooter.
Opland, J. 1983. Xhosa Oral Poetry. Cambridge: CUP.
Pongweni, A. 1982. Songs that Won the Liberation Struggle. Harare.
Reed, W.L. and Bristow, MJ. (eds) 1985. National Anthems of the World, 6th edn. London: Blandford.
Rycroft, D. K. 1957. 'Zulu male traditional singing', African Music, 1/4, pp. 33-6.
--- 1959. 'African music in Johannesburg: African and non-African feaures', Journal of the International Folk Music Council, 11, pp. 25-30.
--- 1967. 'Nguni vocal polyphony', Journal of the International Folk Music Council, 19, pp.89-103.
--- 1977. 'Evidence of stylistic continuity in Zulu "town" music', in Essays for a Humanist: an Offering to Klaus Wachsmann. New York: The Town House Press, pp.211-260.
--- 1980.'Nguni music', in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie. London: Macmillan.
--- 1982. 'The relationships between speech-tone and melody in southern African music', in South African Music Encyclopedia, ed. J.P. Malan, vol. 2. Cape Town: OUP, for Human Sciences Research Council, pp.301-14.
Samuelson, R.C. 1929.Long Long Ago. Durban: Knox, reprinted Durban: Griggs, 1974.
Sithole, E.T. 1968. 'Zulu music as a reflection of social change', M.A. thesis, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn.
--- 1978. 'Ngoma music among the Zulu', in The Performing Arts: Music and Dance, eds J. Blacking and J. W. Kealiinohomoku. The Hague: Mouton.
Stapleton, C. and May, C. 1987. African All-Stars: the Pop Music of a Continent. London: Quartet Books.
Sundkler, B. 1948. Bantu Prophets in South Africa. London: Lutterworth, new edn, OUP, 1961.
--- 1976. Zulu Zion and Some Swazi Zionists. London: OUP.
Tracey, H.T. 1948. Lalela Zulu: 100 Zulu Lyrics. Johannesburg: African Music Society.
Webb, C. de B. and Wright, J.B. 1976. The James Stuart Archive of Recorded Oral Evidence Relating to the History of the Zulu and Neighbouring People, vol.1. Pieterma- ritzburg and Durban: University of Natal Press and Killie Campbell Africana Library.
Whiteside, J. 1906. History of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of South Africa. London.
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2017-07-12
How to Cite
Rycroft, David. 2017. “Black South African Urban Music since the 1890’s: Some Reminiscences of Alfred Assegai Kumalo (1879-1966)”. African Music : Journal of the International Library of African Music 7 (1):5-32. https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v7i1.1927.
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