Abstract

Drumming is an important part of several African communal cultural traditions and is performed during initiation and ritual ceremonies because it is believed that the beat of the drum can evoke the ancestors. This article is based on ongoing ethnographic research into umxhentso traditional dances among the Xhosa people in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa in the context of amagqirha ceremonies. These ceremonies include drumming, singing, and dancing to obtain spiritual, emotional, and physical blessings and healings from the ancestors. The amagqirha ceremonies are the core of the Xhosa traditions and the role of drumming in these ceremonies has not previously received scholarly attention. This study therefore seeks to bring to the fore the cultural implications of drumming during the amagqirha ceremonies and to better understand the deeper meaning of this indigenous cultural practice. Observation, interviews, and analysis of archival video and photographic material are employed to collect ethnographic data. The findings show that amagqirha ceremonies and rituals incorporate drumming, music, and dance not simply for entertainment but also for spiritual and religious purposes.

摘要

击鼓是非洲一些社区文化传统的重要组成部分，在入会仪式和仪式期间进行，因为人们相信鼓的敲击可以唤起祖先。本文基于对南非东开普省和西开普省科萨人在amagqirha仪式背景下的umxhentso传统舞蹈正在进行的民族志研究。这些仪式包括敲鼓、唱歌和跳舞，以获得祖先精神、情感和身体上的祝福和治愈。阿玛基拉_仪式是科萨传统的核心，而击鼓在这些仪式中的作用此前并未受到学术界的关注。因此，本研究旨在凸显阿马其拉仪式期间击鼓的文化含义，并更好地理解这种土著文化习俗的深层含义。通过对档案视频和摄影材料的观察、访谈和分析来收集民族志数据。研究结果表明，阿马基拉仪式和仪式融合了鼓乐、音乐和舞蹈，不仅是为了娱乐，也是为了精神和宗教目的。