Tuesday 15 June 2010

Blowing the trumpet - Vuvuzelas

There has been plenty of complaints from people in europe about the sounds of the Vuvuzelas. Personally I think its tough. The world cup is in Africa and this is what an African world cup is.

This world cup is not in Europe and we shouldn't go banning things just because we don't like them.

For once I agree with Fifa president Sepp Blatter who "believes Vuvuzelas are part and parcel of football in South Africa." Indeed it is.

I was pleased to see that world cup organisers will not ban Vuvuzelas from stadiums in South Africa.

So lets get a bit more tolerant and enjoy the World Cup.

Charlotte Gore finds them "terrifying", really? come on, its just a bit of fun.Vuvuzela: Where Capitalism Meets Communism

Todays link is to Iain Dales blog on the conclusions of the Saville Report into Bloody Sunday Equal Justice.

13 comments:

  1. I am not sure about this.
    I am more in agreement with Toby Young:
    "For the viewer, it removes much of the pleasure of watching a football match. You can’t hear the roar of the supporters every time their team launches an attack, the “oohs” and “ahhhs” every time the ball misses the net, the cheers when it goes in. Indeed, the ebb and flow of sound that is so much part of the whole experience of watching a football match is absent. All you can hear is the monotonous drone of the vuvuzelas."

    Fifa President Sepp Blatter has refused to entertain any such requests, saying “we should not try to europeanise an African World Cup”. So it’s racist to try and prevent a stadium sounding like a traffic jam is it?
    What balls, not least because the majority of people blowing the vuvuzelas in the stadiums are the visiting fans. Like Blatter, they think it’s the “African” thing to do.

    At least we can turn the volume down. Indeed, the BBC is even debating whether to broadcast vuvuzela-free matches. But the players have no such luxury. Xabi Alonso, the Spanish midfielder, says the noise makes it difficult for the players to concentrate and impossible for them to communicate with each other. The Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen complained after yesterday’s match with Holland that he had to be standing within 10-yards of his defenders to make himself understood. Not ideal when your opponents are taking a corner.

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100043517/world-cup-2010-ban-the-vuvuzela/

    According to Wikipedia Vuvuzelas have been said to be based on kudu horn instruments and thus rooted in African history, but this is disputed. This type of plastic horn or trumpet has been used in Mexican stadiums since the 1970s and became popular in South Africa in the 1990s.

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  2. In response to the above comment i would like to politely disagree. In terms of not being able to hear the reaction of crowd is a bit of a white lie. I have been watching a fair few of the games, and I can easily hear the moments when players get near to goal and the unfortunate 'AHHH' as they miss with their shot, through the sound of the Vuvuzela. Just now during the first half of Brazil Vs Korea DPR, when it came to a Brazil corner the Vuvuzela's were noticeably louder, so basically mimicking what a normal crowd would do and that was really interesting to hear. I am not blasting your point as incorrect, but feel it has been slightly over exaggerated (I accept majority of comment was from another source).

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  3. A bit lazy of me. Cutting a pasting, but it basically said what I thought. I find the sound very distracting, but then I am not that interested in soccer anyway.

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  4. Fair enough, it's alright I knew what you meant. It is interesting that someone like Jamie Carragher admitted that he didn't really notice it when on the pitch, that's the sort of attitude I would have thought a professional would have. Crowds anyway are stupidly loud, professionals block that out and focus on playing.

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  5. You used to be able to hear music when Brazil played, but not today. How is this European?

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  6. Charlotte Gore, no offence, is a very uncultured individual much like the rest of this country I'm sorry to have to say.
    If you know anything about Africa at all, its that they're passionate about anything and everything and while many a bigot will deplore such an attitude, it's what makes Africans tick!
    I for one do find them slightly distracting, but I think the TV doesnt do the sound justice. No TV or sound system can reproduce that roar in the same way and in what way are they any worse than the stupid air horns or a rattle?
    We're such a bunch of moaning BA&TARDS!!

    Basically if you want to hear commentary listen to the radio at the same time and turn the tv sound down. I mean, come on - if you're listening to commentary, you're a dullard using the chat to impress yer mates you aint got! ;))
    Peace!

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  7. Disagree about your thesis. They are not part of Afican culture and have only been around in South African football for less than four years.

    Remember, Africa is hosting the world and should think about their guests.

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  8. Adrian yes the I cant here the Brazilians or the Mexicans that much too, but from the crowd interviews its appears to only be the europeans that are complaining. and by that I dont mean White europeans just mean some Europeans who ever they are.

    Vuvuzelas may not be for all of us but I just dont think its up to non Africans to ban them.

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  9. Im not that keen on banning stuff, I just dislike what was said. I dare say if you ask a wide range of people you will find some for and others against in every country.

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  10. oh I just cant see how its racist or what ever to say European or African. when im talking about culture thats football culture not race in different continents. But I accept that people may not of liked what I said or how I said it or indeed agree with me, which is all fine.

    thanks Adrain

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  12. Adrian yes I have no proof. Only based on what I have heard in debates and from my european friends and indeed african friends. Im not perfect I just got a bit angry about it and had to express myself

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  13. I understand that it is very annoying to have the sound of the vuvuzuelas, but I agree that if it is part of the culture, then they should not be banned. May be, people who are annoyed by them, can turn the TV sound off and listen to the radio commentary? Not ideal, I know...

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