Iph'indlela : notions of cultural complexity and musical space in the Field Band Foundation of South Africa

Iph'indlela is a phrase in the South African language Xhosa, meaning "where is the way". In this thesis the question is asked in a South African context, where notions of cultural complexity is approached through the concept of musical space in a South African youth development organization; the Field Band Foundation. This musical space is an imaginary room, where musical activities and negotiations concerning sociocultural identity take place. Based on a qualitative research design using focus groups and individual interviews, I have approached three bands within the Field Band Foundation. I have interviewed young musicians in the organization, mainly focusing on three South African songs regularly performed by the bands; Amavolovolo, Pata Pata and Dali Wam. In the interviews the focus has been on the significance and the cultural values of the music. The songs are also analysed from a historical-analytical perspective in the thesis. Both in the Field Band Foundation and in South Africa, different fields of tension affect cultural youth expressions. Main fields of tension are between local-global and traditional-modern