A vuvuzela, sometimes called a 'lepatata' (its Setswana name), is an air horn, approximately one metre in length, commonly blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa. The origin of the name is disputed; it may originate from the Zulu for "making noise", or from the "vuvu" sound it makes, or from township slang related to the word for "shower". Originally made out of tin, the vuvuzela became popular in South Africa in the 1990s, and in 2001 a local company, Masincedane Sport, began to mass-produce it in plastic.

They require some lip and lung strength to blow, and emit a monotonous noise something like a deep foghorn or an elephant. The vuvuzela is a feature of matches between big South African soccer teams Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. The Chiefs supporters have yellow vuvuzelas while the Pirates have black-and-white vuvuzelas.

Vuvuzelas have been controversial and have sometimes been banned from stadiums. Critics point out that the instrument is blown haphazardly and noisy which can be distracting when paying attention to the game. On the other hand many soccer fans argue that this instrument brings lively atmosphere to the stadium and it is has become part of South African football culture and a way of showing loyalty and dedication to your soccer team.

Just as fans in other countries beat up drums, blow trumpets and sing, South African soccer fans blow the vuvuzelas. Rather than banning them fans need to familiarise themselves on how to blow the vuvuzelas. People should not blow them when it is silence and when blown they need to be organised into a rhythmic music sound accompanied by rhythmic movements.

Similar to 0 things you like: