Afrikaanse vryheidsliedjies as konfigurasie van identiteit: 'n ideologie-kritiese perspektief

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Date
2008-11
Authors
Lambrechts, Lizabe
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Article I - More than a decade after democratisation, identity politics are still extremely topical in South Africa and a renegotiation of this is still taking place. In this article the role of Afrikaans freedom songs and reconstructions of white identity are discussed, while it more specifically aims to establish a point of departure for an ideologically critical theorising of the topic. In this regard, Johann Visagie's (1996) interpretative tools, namely metaphor analysis and ideology criticism, is employed within the broader framework of the so-called Critical Theory. This framework serves as the point of departure for the critical evaluation with regard to the relevance of a model, as formulated by André P. Brink (1991) about this topic. An important point of departure for this study is five dominant post-apartheid narratives, as recorded by Melissa Steyn (2001). A selection of freemdom songs are used with specific constructions of "whiteness" as portayed in the mentioned narratives. It was found that Brink's model demonstrates specific limitations with respect to the topic. Article II: More than a decade after the democratic elections in 1994, the South African society is still very labile, and many white Afrikaners in particular are experiencing a deep-found identity crisis. This crisis is coupled with the search for a new identity. In order to analyse this question from a musicological perspective, two models are contrasted to each other in this article. On the one hand, one finds the structuralist framework of Vladimir Karbusicky (1975), which specifically deals with the analysis of musical texts. This model serves to study a number of songs in which the theme of the "boer" plays a prominent role as configuration of specific types of Afrikaner identity. However, the model only mediates the study of what could be described as "politistic" norms - and for this reason the ideologicalcritical theory of Johann Visage (1996), in which ideology is approached as a negative phenomenon, is discussed in support of the study. An ideological-critical analysis of the abundance of polemic literature surrounding "De la Rey" shows that the song can be regarded as an ideologically one-sided portrayal of Afrikaner identity. The song, as well as the enclosed music video, sketches a very specific period in the history of the Afrikaner by focusing on the Anglo-Boer War: the Afrikaner's so-called "era of innocence". Within the context of a type of Neo-Afrikaner Protest movement these portrayals can be distorted to serve as hyper-normative views of what being an Afrikaner means.
Afrikaans: Artikel I: Meer as 'n dekade na demokratisering is identiteitspolitiek nog steeds uiters aktueel in Suid- Afrika en vind 'n heronderhandeling daarvan steeds plaas. In hierdie artikel word daar stilgestaan by die rol van Afrikaanse vryheidsliedjies as herkonstruksies van wit identiteit, terwyl dit meer spesifiek ten doel het om 'n vertrekpunt daar te stel vir 'n ideologies-kritiese teoretisering van die onderwerp. In hierdie opsig word daar binne die breër raamwerk van die sogenaamde Kritiese Teorie gebruik gemaak van Johann Visagie (1996) se interpretatiewe werktuie, naamlik metafooranalise en ideologie-kritiek. Hierdie raamwerk dien as uitgangspunt vir die kritiese evaluering rakende die relevansie van 'n model soos geformuleer deur André P. Brink (1991) oor bognoemde onderwerp. 'n Belangrike vertrekpunt vir hierdie ondersoek is vyf dominante post-apartheid narratiewe soos opgeteken deur Melissa Steyn (2001). 'n Seleksie van vryheidsliedjies word betrek by bepaalde konstruksies van "witheid" soos uitgebeeld in die genoemde narratiewe. Daar word bevind dat Brink se model bepaalde beperkinge ten opsigte van die onderwerp demonstreer. Artikel II: Meer as 'n dekade na die demokratiese verkiesing in 1994 is die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing steeds baie labiel, en ervaar veral baie wit Afrikaners 'n diepgaande identiteitskrisis. Hierdie krisis gaan gepaard met die soeke na 'n "nuwe" identiteit. Ten einde hierdie vraagstuk vanuit 'n musikologiese perspektief te ontleed, word twee modelle in hierdie artikel teenoor mekaar geplaas. Aan die een kant is daar Vladimir Karbusicky (1975) se strukturalistiese raamwerk wat spesifiek gerig is op die analise van musikale tekste. Hierdie model dien om 'n aantalliedjies te bestudeer waarin die tema van "die boer" 'n prominente rol speel as konfigurasie van spesifieke tipes van Afrikaner-identiteit. Die model bemiddel egter slegs die bestudering van wat beskryf sou kon word as "politisistiese" norme - en om hierdie rede word Johann Visagie (1996) se ideologieskritiese teorie, waarin ideologie as 'n negatiewe verskynsel benader word, aanvullend ter sprake gebring. 'n Ideologies-kritiese analise van die oorvloedige polemiese literatuur rondom "De la Rey" toon aan dat die liedjie beskou kan word as 'n ideologies-eensydige uitbeelding van Afrikaner-identiteit. Die liedjie, asook die bygaande musiekvideo, skets 'n baie spesifieke periode van die Afrikanergeskiedenis deur te fokus op die Anglo-Boereoorlog: die Afrikaner se sogenaamde "era van onskuld". Binne die konteks van 'n tipe Neo-Afrikaner Protesbeweging kan hierdie uitbeeldings verdraai word om as hiper-normatiewe sienings van Afrikanerskap te dien.
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Keywords
Afrikaner identity, Freedom songs, Ideology criticism, Metaphor analysis, De la rey, Brink, Karbusicky, Narrative, Neo-Afrikaans protest movement, Nostalgia, Nationalism in music, Popular music -- South Africa, Popular music -- Political aspects -- South Africa, Dissertation (M.Mus. (Music))--University of the Free State, 2008
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