“The beauty of a man is his cattle”: Music development as a new form of lobolo in South Africa

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

“Ubuhle bendoda” is a Zulu song about lobolo, the exchange of bridewealth in the form of cattle. A practice that was never conceptualized simply as transactional, lobolo indexed and cemented social contract between families, and represented the capacity of individuals and families to fulfil their social roles. The song is a favorite in the repertoire of the Field Band Foundation (FBF), a national non-profit youth development organization that provides music education in underprivileged communities in South Africa. This chapter analyzes “Ubuhle bendoda” in the context of the FBF’s work, revealing social and economic change due to colonialism, apartheid, and post-apartheid capitalism. I argue the song provides a heuristic for understanding the way that the FBF addresses present-day socioeconomic inequality through teaching, musical practice, and financial partnerships, resulting in new ethical and economic bases for gender roles, new forms of reciprocity, and new economic vehicles for establishing social relations.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of Economic Ethnomusicology
EditorsAnna Morcom, Timothy D. Taylor
Place of PublicationOxford
PublisherOxford Univerity Press; Oxford
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9780190859664
ISBN (Print)9780190859633
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Apr 2022

Keywords

  • South Africa
  • bridewealth
  • inequality
  • music development
  • social contract
  • reciprocity

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