National Anthem: Pathetic!!!

GreGorGy

GreGorGy

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genetic said:
Not sure if Johnny Clegg is the right person for the job though
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Of course he is. Only a white guy can write an anthem for SA cos we all know that blacks can't. He can write a nice white-friendly play on 94.7 english-only - bar a few "jumbo hums" - anthem.

Of course, the 50-million odd other people who are kind enough to share this nation with the Nkosi-haters may have something to say about that but you know, who cares - their opinion has never meant anything....

So, seriously, what is wrong with our anthem? Perhaps the haters should read up a bit about its history. Perhaps they should expand their horizons and find out what it means to MOST south africans.
 
HapticSimian

HapticSimian

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GreGorGy said:
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Are you sure your horse is quite high enough there, Kimosabe?

History - let's see... If I recall, it was written by some chap by the name of Enoch Sontonga around the turn of the last century... It was adopted as the ANC's anthem at some point, hence their self-serving belief that they are free to impose it on the entire population as our anthem after coming out tops in '94. How'd I do?

What's wrong with it? It was written as a hymn with no intention of it being regarded as an anthem. It makes no reference to SOUTH Africa or her people, but can be seen as a general prayer for all of the continent to a deity not everyone believes in. It's such a generally applicable ditty that several other countries see it fit to claim it as their anthem as well.

What it means to MOST South Africans? I dunno - probably roughly the same as 'Kill the farmer, kill the Boer', or 'Bring me my machine gun'. What I can tell you is that, as a 8th generation South African it means nothing to me. It's a sad, useless amalgamation of different tunes in its present form & is, quite frankly, rather amateurish. Hearing it on the world stage leaves me more embarrassed than proud.

The 'States might as well adopt 'Yankee Doodle' as their anthem, or have the English replace 'God save the Queen' with 'London Bridge is falling down'...
 
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P

Picard

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Let's please don't get into a debate whether our current national song is valid or not. The implications are just too ghastly to warrant it.

Let's just agree that it was sung pathetically and that lessons may be taken from this.
 
daveza

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alloytoo

alloytoo

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GreGorGy said:
Of course he is. Only a white guy can write an anthem for SA cos we all know that blacks can't. He can write a nice white-friendly play on 94.7 english-only - bar a few "jumbo hums" - anthem.

Of course, the 50-million odd other people who are kind enough to share this nation with the Nkosi-haters may have something to say about that but you know, who cares - their opinion has never meant anything....

So, seriously, what is wrong with our anthem? Perhaps the haters should read up a bit about its history. Perhaps they should expand their horizons and find out what it means to MOST south africans.
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I suggest Johnny Clegg because his songs invoke a strong sense of South Africa.

I do not hate Nkosi, I am indifferent to it. It does nothing, it invokes nothing, and it's singuarly inappropriate to have a hymn given our liberal constitution.


Die Stem on the other hand is a marvelously evocative piece of music which has also become inappropriate through no fault of it's own.

Time for something new (Long overdue in fact).

It was done successfully with the flag.
 
daveza

daveza

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I'm waiting for Julius to side with Rasta Dumisani.

"There is no such thing as a zulu that can't sing" ...
 
K

kilobits

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Methinks to self... this was done by him on purpose.

For no other reason than to promote himself.

Look how much media attention has been focussed on him now.
Look at the buzz around this.
I have heard this mentioned on every radio station I have tuned into this morning. All of them are saying it sucked and are pushing for a listen to his other work.

So... rather than having an OK and instantly forgotten performance on the day... he has opted to have a dreadful rendition that will be talked about LONG after the event.

I doubt it has hurt his record sales...

There is no such thing as bad publicity!
 
JungleBoy

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I have never laughed so much in my life...:D
That Rasta Man has some real talent...making up the music and words as you go through the song is not easy...but hell when you are high, impossible is nothing...:D
 
JungleBoy

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What about his two goofy friends that kept drumming away in the background...what a joke?
 
M

milomak

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JungleBoy said:
What about his two goofy friends that kept drumming away in the background...what a joke?
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right next to the orchestra as well.

it's funny everytime i see it. i reckon if they had told schalk to go after him he would handed out a moering
 
S

Sting

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Anyone got a mp3 or wma version? I want it for my ringtone!!!!
 
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