Sacred spaces as living archives

Abstract

This thesis aims to understand the close link between people and nature. Focusing on intangible heritage, living archives, and ritualised spaces through the lens of ecomusicology. The core of the research lies in investigating the role of music, soundscapes, Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs), storytelling, ritual and heritage products in constructing, transmitting, and preserving knowledge. By intertwining these elements, this research seeks to challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries and expand the understanding of cultural heritage beyond the static confines of written archives. The study emphasises the transformative power of sound and performance as mediums for community engagement, where ritual and performance act as living forms of knowledge. It explores how these performative expressions function not only as cultural markers but as dynamic vehicles for memory, history, and ecological understanding. This thesis proposes that spaces created through these rituals should be recognised as integral components of the (an)archive dynamic sites where culture, memory, and the environment converge, offering new insights into the ways in which heritage can be preserved, communicated, and mobilised in contemporary settings. Furthermore, this research contributes to the rethinking of science education and archival practices, advocating for the inclusion of performance-based methods as tools for communicating scientific and ecological knowledge. By framing the arts within scientific discourse, it calls for a re-evaluation of how archives and knowledge systems are constructed, suggesting that these practices provide a more holistic, accessible approach to understanding environmental sustainability. The research is embedded within the broader context of the IMIsEE (Indigenous Marine and Innovations for Sustainable Environments and Economies) project, a collaborative initiative involving the Rhodes University Department of Music and Musicology, the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), the Keiskamma Trust (KKT), and strategic partnerships with the International Library of African Music (ILAM). The project focuses on addressing the environmental degradation of rocky shores along the Eastern Cape coastline of South Africa, particularly in the vicinity of Hamburg, near the mouth of the Keiskamma River. This interdisciplinary collaboration brings together scholars, environmental practitioners, and local communities to investigate the potential of heritage practices as solutions to pressing ecological challenges. My role within this project is to position the research within an ecomusicological framework, examining the interconnectedness between sound, community, and the environment. By foregrounding the link between music and the environment, this thesis examines how heritage practices especially those rooted in community and ritual offer valuable insights into fostering sustainability and environmental resilience. Through this lens, the research challenges prevailing scientific paradigms, urging a more inclusive approach that integrates cultural knowledge and ecological care as complementary forces in the pursuit of sustainability.Olu phando lujolise ekuhlalutyeni ukuxhatshazwa, ukunyanzeliswa nokunyenjwa kwamanina ngamanye amanina kusetyenziswa imigaqo yeenkcubeko nezithethe njengezizathu zokwenza oko. Olu phando luqhutywa ngokuphonononga izicatshulwa zoncwadi lwesiXhosa ezine, zezi zilandelayo: UNongxaki nezakhe (1976), ngokubhalwa nguG. Belebesi; UDike noCikizwa (1988), ngokubhalwa nguA.M. Mmango; Iinkunzi Ezimbini (1994), ngokubhalwa nguH. Mothlabane kunye noYeha Mfazi Obulala Indoda (1997), ngokubhalwa nguL.L. Ngewu. Ngaphezu koko, olu phononongo luzama ukuqabela ngaphaya kobukhomokazi phantsi kwengqiqo ethi ubukhomokazi luluvo nje oluphangaleleyo nolunjongo ikukukhulula ngokubanzi kwakunye nokuxhobisa amanina ngazo zonke izimo kunye nezithethe ezicinezelayo nezixhaphazayo ezandleni zamadoda. Ukuphanda ngokuqabela ngaphaya kobukhomokazi kolu phando kuthetha ukuphanda amadoda kunye namanina njengabanyhukuli nabaxhaphazi bamanina. Ukuphonononga kwalo mba kubalulekile kwiphulo lokulungisa ukungabikho kobulungisa kunye nokungalingani ngokwesini. Ukuze abe nokuxhobiseka ngcono, amanina kufuneka emanyene. Nangona kunjalo, umanyano alunakufikeleleka xa kukho amanina athi esezingqondweni ngokugqibeleleyo, okanye mhlawumbi ngokungaqondi ngamanye amaxesha, edelela futhi engcikiva amanye amanina phantsi kwezithethe ezingcikivayo zobudoda. Iinkcubeko nezithethe zidlala indima ebalulekileyo ekubunjweni kwanasekuyilweni kwezizwe ezininzi zamaAfrika, ingakumbi amaXhosa. Ngoko ke, kubalulekile ukwenza olu phando kusetyenziswa ubukhomokazi baseAfrika njengeyona mo yengqiqo iphambili ngenjongo yokuqinisekisa ukuba iinkcubeko nezithethe zamaXhosa azityeshelwa koko zibekwa phantsi kweliso elibukhali. Oku kukuqinisekisa ukuba ziyaphuculwa ukuze zikwazi ukumelana namaxesha esphila kuwo, ngamava amanina aphambili kwanangendlela asebenza ngayo amanina. Ubukhomokazi baseAfrika buyazamkela iinkcubeko nezithethe njengentsika yentlalo yamaAfrika kwaye buyayiqonda nento yokuba amaXhosa, ingakumbi, namaninaase-Afrika ngokubanzi, anembali yokumelana neenzima kwanokukhalipha. Ubukhomokazi base-Afrika abuwathabathi njengotshaba lwamanina amadoda kuba kaloku amadoda namabhinqa ase-Afrika akhe asebenzisana isithuba seenkulungwane zeminyaka elwisana neentshaba zezwekazi lakokwethu. Injongo yobukhomokazi base-Afrika kukubhentsisa konke ukungalingani ngokwesini ngokuthi bulungise ngokudihlanganisa amadoda namanina ase-Afrika ukuze abelane ngawo onke amaqonga kunye nemigaqo ngokuselekwe kubulungisa, nangokulinganayo.