2010 FIFA World Cup: ‘Vuvuzela’ trumpets might be banned
Visiting officials, coaches and players will have in mind that host South Africa has a clandestine initiative that will give the host nation an edge over their competitors to power through the next stages of the FIFA World Cup 2010.
One such fear happens to be a plastic vuvuzela trumpet that has caused uproars since last year’s Confederations Cup. And just before the World Cup, complains have started to flow in against the traditional instrument. The effected say they can’t hear anything as the fans blow the horn which sounds like an elephant stampede. Despite the hue and cry, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has officially approved the use of the African bongo drums and case closed.
There have been issues with people not being able to cover the proceedings of the match with about 90,000 people and a majority of them armed with trumpets.
There is however some serious side effects of the vuvuzela’s. Just last month, Thailand team manager Bryan Robson reported after the South African match that he had failed to give commands to his players on the field because of the massive sound produced by the vuvuzela.
Musicians and experts have already told that the sound produced might be able to impair hearing capabilities during the World Cup. Musicians have told that any sound that is not pleasant can damage hearing. They have also explained that when the sound from the vuvuzela’s super-impose with the noise, they bring B-flat and that unfortunately will be the only thing that television viewers will be hearing.
Historians have told that originally vuvuzela’s were made from kudu horns and used at special opening ceremonies. The traditional instrument has quite a magnificent voice. However, as it was manufactured in plastic at reduced rates, nearly every local person bought the instrument. As a result, the vuvuzela turned into a noise weapon.
The South African’s have no problems with the instrument. The manager Carlos Alberto Parreira has in fact said that it’s brilliant, “We have to try to reinforce that advantage. We want it louder and louder”.
He however said that it would be better if the tune from the vuvuzela’s was turned into a symphony in the stadium by mass participation. He said, “The problem here is that no one has tried to synchronise the whole stadium, all the vuvuzela’s in one stadium to play the same rhythm. It is just a matter of will and a matter of saying will just do it".
Carlos further advocated his cause by saying, “If people in Europe can sing the same song in the stadiums we can play the same rhythm here".
The manager also gave an idea that a band could be formed with them; with seven vuvuzela’s to play chords by cutting them into different lengths, then mix them with a bass guitar, drums, trumpets or trombones and a singer.
Experts believe that just 10,000 spectators out of a total audience attendance of 100,000 can create a lot of fuss if handed with vuvuzela’s. They believe that this is a beginning of a new World Cup tradition that will fast grow into other stages of football.
Sources have told that the FIFA management committee is actually trying to educate the local population with the usage of vuvuzela’s during the matches. It is expected that there will in the end be some kind regulation to allow a specific type or quantity of vuvuzela’s in the stadium. However, the opening ceremony is sure to be one heck of a blast.
Advice to all those attending the World Cup this year is probably to pack their bags with loads of ear plugs and to stuff them down till the end when the icon Nelson Mandela announces the opening of the Cup.
Tags: