Music and dance is a large part of African culture. In South Africa, both reflect the diversity of the country’s people and their traditions.

African instruments have always served many purposes. They were often constructed from animal tusks, gourds, and wood. For example, the vuvuzela is a plastic horn instrument made popular during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It surprised me to learn that the vuvuzela’s original form was an antelope antler and its purpose was to call villagers to gatherings.

In Johannesburg, I visited the Drum Cafe where music expert Warren Lieberman showed me many unique African instruments. He invited my fellow travellers and me to join in a drum circle. Warren gave each of us a djembe to play, a drum from West Africa. Following Warren’s lead, I copied his rhythms with my bare hands. While the pattern seemed difficult at first, I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

Like African music, African dance tells stories, share emotions, and creates connections.

In 1978, Sylvia Glasser started an all-white dance company called Moving Into Dance. After seeing the unfair treatment of black and coloured South Africans under Apartheid, Sylvia welcomed non-white dancers to her company. By mixing her dance company, she hoped to show that people of any racial background could come together. If people could unite in dance; she hoped that her country could unite in spirit.

Sylvia invited me to watch her dance company rehearse. I most enjoyed the gumboot dancing, which is performed wearing large rubber rain boots or gumboots. This southern African dance started in the gold mines in the early 19th century. Miners were forced to be silent, so they developed a way to communicate with their bodies. By stomping their feet and slapping their rubber boots, they could sound out messages.

Next: Entertainment and the struggle to express yourself.

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