article

'the past is far and the future is far': power and performance among Zulu migrant workers

American ethnologist19 (4) • Published In 1992 • Pages: 688-709

By: Erlmann, Veit.

Abstract
The study of ISICATHAMIYA, a tradition of competitive song and dance among Zulu migrant workers in South Africa, shows that performance is not necessarily a coherent expressive system with an underlying unitary organizing principle. The rich symbolic overlay in this tradition constitutes a performative, empowering strategy. It mediates migrant workers' ambiguous experience of alienation and powerlessness by framing social interaction in spheres of virtual time, constructing protective spaces, and metaphorically remodeling a social order beyond the given and now. This article focuses on the temporal organization of ISICATHAMIY, the internal organization of performance groups, the complex symbolic representation 'home' in choir names, the construction of hierarchical social relationships and gender inequity in performance roles, the ritualization of regional opposition in competition, and the aesthetic expression of conflict in panegyrical song texts and sound patterns (p. 688).
Subjects
Internal migration
Urban and rural life
Music
Dance
Names of animals and things
culture
Zulu
HRAF PubDate
2005
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Southern Africa
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 2004
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
ca. 1930s-1990s
Coverage Place
Glebe Hostel, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
Notes
Veit Erlmann
Includes bibliographical references (p. 706-709)
LCCN
74644326
LCSH
Zulu (African people)