Griqua hymnody: a musical ethnography of Griqua identity through song

The study presents the hymnodic practises of the Griqua community belonging to the Kranshoek based Griqua Independent Church. The research traces the history of the Griqua and their hymns from eighteenth century missionaries until the spiritual and political work of A.A.S. Le Fleur I in the twentieth century. Issues regarding Griqua identity and the effects of colonisation and apartheid are highlighted and placed within the current South African context. The research and fieldwork further demonstrate that hymnody becomes the manner in which the Griqua community perform their identity as a marginalised community in South Africa. Ethnographic narratives illustrate the true nature of the Griqua hymn as well as the profound effect it has on the communal and personal lives of this community. The distinctive performance practice of these hymns referred to by the Griqua community as lof, played a pivotal part in the formation and sustaining of the twentieth century Griqua ethnic identity and remains a marker of Griqua identity for the followers of Le Fleur today. The study furthermore investigates the role hymnody fulfils in the everyday lives of members as well as the manner in which it attracts new members and retains the Griqua youth. The musical ethnography utilized in this study positions Griqua hymnody as a unique South African expressive culture.