Final Project Proposal

For my final project proposal I would like to focus on Kwaito as a social and cultural tool for black South Africans. In looking at this, I would like to observe the ways in which the emergence and creation of Kwaito music has served as a way for people to voice discontent with issues occurring within society. I would further like to connect Kwaito with its significance in creating an identity for the people within the townships, with a particular focus on its important role for the youth.

Considering Kwaito's emergence from South Africa, and more specifically townships within South Africa, it is important to observe the historical effects of Apartheid, and the social and cultural implications of Apartheid in the emergence of Kwaito music.

Critical Review on "The Rapper as Modern" by Patricia Tang

In Tang's article, she examines the development of the hip-hop scene in Senegal by connecting the ways in which American hip-hop has been influenced by its African roots, and has then come full circle to influence Africa with an emergence of its popularity within 1980s Senegal. In examining the outburst of Senegalese rappers, she distinguishes the connections that are made between the traditional concept of "griot" or "djelly", and the notion of the "modern griot".

Tang portrays the notion of griot, as it is traditionally known, as a historically situated, romanticized concept "from which the modern griot has evolved over time" (81). However it is noted that the concept of griot has been falling out of popularity due to the negative connotations surrounding it.While hip-hop in America is viewed as the evolution of the African griot, couldn't it be argued that it is actually the Senegalese rappers who have evolved the role of griot into the "modern griot"? American artists, such as Kanye West, do not seem to even recognize the negative conception of griot that has been increasingly attributed to the term. In fact, Kanye West seems to further the negative image of the griot by associating the term with his own public statements and actions. Thus, shouldn't the Senagalese artists coin a new term for the "modern griot", just as they have done with mbalax, to distinguish it from the connotations and image of a traditional griot?

Preliminary Topic Proposal

A potential topic proposal I am interested in researching is how the development of Kwaito music has been created through a uniquely South African experience. Kwaito is not simply a style of music but a tool that was used by the people to create and define their identity. In my research I would like to observe how both "traditional" and "foreign" or "Western" musical influences have contributed to the formation of Kwaito over the years. I would also like to further understand how the music was used as a tool in other spheres of South African life, such as politics or social issues, and the implications that resulted from this.

In doing my research I am aiming to further understand Kwaito so that I may compare it to other incidences of music similarly being used as a resource for developing an identity or experience for a group of people. I would also like to see if the emergence of Kwaito has been received internationally or if its growth and influence is limited. I believe that in analyzing articles, videos, primary sources, and other resources I will be able to better understand the development of Kwaito, the impact and influence it has had in South Africa, and the potential trajectory in the future of Kwaito music.