Musical Fusion and Borrowing in African Song: Analysis of Cultural Appropriation in Unomathemba and Ke Ikhethetse E Motle
Overview
This paper examines the relationship between musical fusion, borrowing, and cultural appropriation through analysis of two South African songs: Unomathemba and Ke Ikhethetse E Motle. The author argues that while musical fusion and borrowing are valid creative practices that facilitate cultural exchange, cultural appropriation—the unappreciated extraction of cultural elements for personal gain—should be avoided as it fails to honor the original culture.
What this essay covers
- Introduction defining music fusion and musical borrowing with examples of global partnerships
- Analysis of Unomathemba as a fusion of Zulu and Sotho cultures utilizing traditional dance and tonal variation
- Examination of Ke Ikhethetse E Motle and its musical borrowing through Simon Paul's Bubble Boy production
- Discussion of cultural appropriation as distinct from fusion, with critique of Simon Paul's Graceland as appropriation
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Music
Music fusion occurs when an artist combines different styles to generate fresh and unique content. Music fusion has existed for years, and it serves the world with varied benefits. For example, collaborating different styles and genres in one song advocates for global partnerships. It is a perfect technique to embrace other cultures. On the other hand, musical borrowings refer to using a song and creating new content through tonal variations or paraphrasing. This paper aims to determine the relation between musical borrowing and fusion and music in songs like "Unomathemba" and "Ke Ikhethetse E Motle.”
Musical Fusion and Borrowing in Unomathemba and Ke Ikhethetse E Motle
Unomathemba is a cultural song that is derived from Zulu culture in South Africa. Unomathemba sourced from Isicathamiya style. Essentially, Isicathamiya is characterized by tonal variations and incorporates bass, alto, and lead. Music fusion is reflected in the Unomathemba music because it is a mix of Zulu and Sotho cultures. Several cultural traditions have been used in Unomathemba music. Firstly, there is Zulu traditional dance in the music, which is referred to as toe-dance. Secondly, there is little use of musical instruments. Primarily, the piece of music relies on tonal variation (alto, bass, and lead voice) to create rhythm. For instance, the Zulu dance is reflected at the start of the music (0:14). The aspect of harming and tonal variation derived from Zulu culture is also seen in the 2:08 minute. The 0:14 and 2:08 timestamps show the cultural fusion of two different cultures.