spectators who can’t wait to be in South Africa to sing their respective national anthems during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The common denominator for all those expected to visit our shores for the first such football spectacle on African soil will be the singing and dancing of soccer die-hards. What better way to celebrate an event of this magnitude than with the sound of African voices, African drums and African horns? Of course, while we are on the subject of horns, let’s remember that the blowing of the controversial new spectator instrument, the Vuvuzela, during the World Cup had been approved by FIFA. This is provided that they’re not used as dangerous missiles to players and officials on the field. Whether it is the melodic rendition of the classic English fan’s “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, the famous French “Oleee, Ole, Ole Oleee” or the local “Shosholoza” that will be resonating at the various World Cup stadia around the country; one thing is for sure, those voices, those instruments will all be united in music and soccer.
Soccer lovers are a unique breed. They are in a league of their own, so to speak. Have you seen how complete strangers shake hands, hug and sometimes kiss one another just because they are wearing a soccer jersey of the same team or country? Similarly, have you
witnessed the collective excitement of fans united by the love of a song at a music concert? A similar atmosphere of camaraderie is sure to engulf our stadia, Fan Parks and streets during the World Cup, uniting the fans across race, creed colour or class. The celebrations before, during and after the Final Draw on 4 December 2009 in Cape Town were just a curtain-raiser to what is expected to be a month of abundant singing and dancing anything from the Brazilian Samba to the African iNdlamu dance. Whether or not their team/country is winning, football fanatics are always seen to be dancing and singing - perhaps hoping that the sound of their drums, horns and voices could change the result for the better - even after the final whistle blew.
Just as you would find such dynamics as “crescendo” or “diminuendo” (i.e. the volume of a sound or a note) in music, so you find soccer patterns or formations such as 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 depending on whether a team is playing attacking or defensive football. The Brazilian Football Team has been famous for their unique “Samba style” of football play which is associated with Brazil’s famous musical dance, while here at home the Mamelodi Sundowns Footbal Club, for example, used to mesmerize their opponents with their rhythmic and dazzling soccer move called “the shoeshine and piano”. In fact, spectators are known to sing specific songs at crucial moments of a soccer match, thus invoking a certain kind of game-play from the players – whether this is meant for their team to perform better or to weaken the opposition.
The association of music and soccer is aptly demonstrated in the popular Diski Dance*, a series of choreographed soccer moves created by South African Tourism as part of their marketing campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. 2010 is here!!! 2010 has arrived!!! Surely, you can’t wait until the world has arrived to start learning the Diski moves…
