Nank’ uDisemba: Songs of the Lumko district showing the difficult life of rural Xhosa unmarried women

Abstract

The traditional songs of the Thembu Xhosa area around Lumko Mission, about 60 kilometres east of Queenstown in the Eastern Cape Province, include songs about prostitutes and the sexual promiscuity of women who are unmarried or living without a husband. This type of sexual behaviour is a direct result of the migratory labour system first imposed by the British in the 19th century, continued under the South African government after 1910, and which still bedevils the country after the achievement of democracy in South Africa. The article addresses both sociological and musicological aspects. It examines the texts of songs about these unfortunate women, studying the attitudes towards the women of the people who sing these songs. The discussion of the musical style and quality of the songs is supplemented with transcriptions of eleven songs recorded by the author, in order to show that the songs are in the same highly developed and sophisticated style as other traditional songs of the area, and are often performed in a striking and beautiful way. Comparisons are made with the writings of other authors, which seem to leave it unclear whether other South African peoples besides the Thembu Xhosa have songs directly referring to such women, songs showing not only attitudes of criticism and fear towards them, but also deep understanding, sympathy and acceptance of them.