The Sound of African Football

Up close it’s an elephant but as the place becomes bigger and the amount of people playing the Vuvuzela increases the sound is more like a swarm of angry bees. Its ancestor is said to be the Kudu horn which was blown to summon the African villagers for meetings. The vuvuzelas have caused health concerns as tiny droplets at the bottom of the instrument can carry flu and cold germs that are so small that they stay suspended in the air for hours and can effect a person’s lungs by entering through the airway. It is also dangerous for the ears, as it can lead to permanent hearing loss.

Many sporting arenas have banned the 65 centimeter plastic device due to the sound it makes.   A lot of people called on FIFA to ban the instruments from being brought into the stadiums but the president of FIFA Sepp Blatter refused by saying «we should not Europeanize an African World Cup that is what African football is all about, noise, excitement, dancing, shouting and enjoyment.» Columnist Jon Qwelane described the device «as an instrument from hell.» Majority of the Barclays Premier league teams have banned the usage of Vuvuzela in their stadiums.

Although many fans enjoy the exuberance brought by the Vuvuzela they would appreciate it if it was used more sparingly than on a regular basis. New ways such as the audio filtration technique have been used in order to reduce the sound that the Vuvuzela makes.   There is a common misconception that the Vuvuzela can only produce a single note, though with a special playing technique you can produce different notes. No matter how annoying, but the Vuvuzela did make you feel like you’re watching an African World Cup.