It’s sure to be a contender for word of the year. It’s been on our minds and in our ears for the last three weeks. It’s a plastic horn that when collectively blown, sounds like bees swarming en masse or more succinctly, “an elephant farting”. Yes, the vuvuzela has taken the South African World Cup and the fanatical world by storm, annoying armchair supporters and being blamed for France’s poor performance in the group games (Sorry lads, I think that might have been your squabbling and tired performances). Naturally enough, once the online world realised there was potential for a 21st century annoyance, Rickrolling was out the window and it was vuvuzela time.
We mentioned the actual Vuvuzela Time website last week (vuvuzela-time.co.uk), which adds the sound to any website but since then, the web meme possibilities have exploded. There are mobile apps, a vuvuzela radio site (vuvuzela.fm) playing the sound non-stop and without interruption, an endurance test which asks how long you can blow a vuzuzela (bit.ly/wcendurance), a Twitter feed (twitter.com/the_vuvuzela) – sample ‘BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ’ and much much more.
The sound has become so ubiquitous that even Youtube has got in on the act, unveiling a vuvuzela button which played the sound of the horns over any video. Also, like the Lord of the Rings with Vuvuzelas parody (bit.ly/vuvlotr), there is a fake film trailer which takes its cue from M Night Shyamalan’s The Happening, possibly one of the worst films of all-time has been re-christened The Buzzening and also features in Nicholas Cage’s “No! Not the bees speech” from The Wicker Man remake (bit.ly/buzzening).
Surely though, as a musical instrument, albeit a crude one note one (B flat to be exact) , the vuvuzela has the potential to be included in popular music? Some valiant producers have tried. Boston’s DJ Ghostdad has gifted the world Vuvuzela Beat (http://bit.ly/vuvbeat), a parping techno funk track which manages to be more irritating than listening to oily Ken doll and Eurodance producer Basshunter non-stop for 24 hours.
The most salient recorded effort thus far comes from UK dancehall’s Serocee and Rukaika Russell (bit.ly/soundvuv), who wisely chose to keep any vuvuzela samples low in the mix while using the horn as a symbol for global celebration.
Winner in the music stakes though, is an actual Vuvuzela Orchestra from South Africa who mix brass and plastic horns so that there is more on offer than a one note drone. Their performance (http://bit.ly/vuvorch), which was uploaded to Youtube showcases their ability to mix proper South African funk with panache while still incorporating the din of a vuvuzela. All together now – ”BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ BZZZZ BZZZ BZZZZZZZ”
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