Vuvuzela, a meter long brightly colored plastic that emits noisy sound, is the controversial trademark trumpet of South African football fans in the ongoing 2010 FIFA world cup.
The instrument is responsible for the background soundtrack in a high volume you hear during every match to the delight of some and the profound annoyance of others. Various players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and commentators have complained about the noise of vuvuzela demanding a ban on it during the matches so that players could easily communicate and commentary can be heard on TV with an ease by the fans.
BBC reported on 13th June that organizing committee chief executive Danny Jordaan said he would continue to monitor their use and that a ban could be enforced if there were “grounds to do so”. They have also made the point that it is important to reflect the atmosphere of the tournament. While FIFA president Joseph Blatter backs South African fans on blowing vuvuzela saying the plastic trumpets should not be banned and tweets about it too.
• “To answer all your messages (regarding) the vuvuzelas. I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound,” Joseph S Blatter
• “I don’t see banning the music traditions of fans in their own country. Would you want to see a ban on the fan traditions in your country?” Joseph S Blatter
On the other hand Vuvuzela apps are riding high in the Apple iTunes charts, and allow iPhone owners to annoy friends and family by turning their phone in to a virtual trumpet. There are around 11 vuvuzela apps available from Apple’s App Store. There are even virtual vuvuzelas available for mobile phones running Google’s Android operating system. Organizing committee spokesman Rich Mkhondo said television viewers were different people than the colorfully dressed fans bringing the instruments to matches.
“I wouldn’t dwell too much on what outsiders think about vuvuzelas. I would dwell … on what the feelings of the spectators are,” he said at a news conference.
You can like it or dislike it but you can’t ignore it for sure as the vuvuzela has given FIFA World Cup 2010 its unique identity and vibrancy.
Image Source: Telegraph
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