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A close-up on some of South Africa’s indigenous instruments

23 September 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo iFlair Photography

According to Dr Absolum Nkosi, Senior Lecturer in the Odeion School of Music at the University of the Free State (UFS), “ancient traditional instruments form part of the African heritage”. As such, with Heritage Day upon us, it is imperative to highlight these South African indigenous musical instruments.

Some of the most prominent South African musical instruments currently in the possession of the UFS, include uhadi and umakhoyane, also referred to as ugubhu. At first glance, one would think that these instruments are the same. This would not be an incorrect assumption. In fact, these instruments share similarities in terms of purpose and how they have been used throughout their existence.

Similarities and differences between the instruments

For instance, both uhadi and umakhoyane (ugubhu) are instruments traditionally played by women. Dr Nkosi maintains that songs accompanied by any of these instruments are usually personal, as they cover topics such as love, family, and relationships. Furthermore, the songs that were sung with the assistance of these instruments, were also about a reflection of the individual’s mental state. As such, the fact that both instruments have a very soft sound aided in that reflective process.

However, there are key variations between these instruments. Uhadi is a single-string acoustic bow affiliated with the Xhosa tribe, whereas umakhoyane is a single-string acoustic bow affiliated with the Zulu tribe. In addition, umakhoyane possesses a bridge in the middle that uhadi does not. Furthermore, there is also a difference in the sound produced by the two instruments. “Uhadi produces one sound when it is played with the string openly without touching it; you can then get the second sound by pinching and releasing the string using the index finger and a thumb. However, umakhoyane produces two notes when playing the string on the upper and the lower level. The bridge in the middle of the string divides it into an upper part (low tone) and a lower part (high tone),” Dr Nkosi indicated.

It is imperative to note that these instruments have adapted over time. In fact, they have been used in genres such as Jazz and contemporary Afro music. Therefore, Dr Nkosi believes that the preservation of these indigenous instruments is essential, as it keeps the African musical identity alive.

Uhadi: Indigenous South African instrument affiliated with the Xhosa tribe

Umakhoyane: Indigenous South African instrument affiliated with the Zulu tribe

News Archive

The science of translation

2015-09-16

What is the relationship between a translator, information, and an audience? Professor Christiane Nord explored the connection in a series of lectures hosted by the Linguistics and Language Practice Department and the Department of Hebrew of the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus.

Since 2007, the professor for Translation Studies has been a research associate and professor extraordinary in the department, assisting translation and interpreting students in gaining a global perspective on their disciplines.

The world-renowned German scholar and trained translator for Spanish and English is also an author, with over 200 published articles on the so-called Skopos Theory, which formed the basis of the lectures on 7 and 8 September 2015. The addresses were centered on the functionality and limitations of translations.

Translation as a purposeful activity

According to Prof Nord, all translations should be geared towards conveying messages which the audience understands. This communicative purpose involves taking into consideration the cultural background of the recipient.

As a seasoned practitioner, Prof Nord has been guided by Skopos Theory in her teaching endeavours. Hence her firm stance: “If you do not have a theory, you cannot justify your translational decisions.”

Within the context of the Skopos Theory, she explains that, in order to produce a functional translation, the translator must analyse the purpose of the translated text, which includes the questions for whom, when, where, and through which medium will it reach the intended audience.

How to deal with doubt in functional translation

“Doubt is something we are accompanied by when we’re translating.” Such doubt may be caused by “insufficient proficiency with regards to source and target languages and cultures, domain and terminological knowledge, and knowledge in translation theory and methodology,” said Prof Nord. However, the top-down approach offers a solution to overcome uncertainty, at least to some extent. This approach considers, first and foremost, the target audience for which the translation is tailored. Based on this consideration, the translator is able to determine the approach that is most suitable for the audience, hence eliminating doubt.

In sum, the extraordinary professor asserted that there are no rules for translation, contrary to popular belief. According to Prof Nord, the main focus of a translator or interpreter should be to produce texts in the target language and culture which meet the requirements of the translation brief set by the client or commissioner.

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