Geoff Mapaya
University of Venda, Music, Faculty Member
- Geoff Mapaya Meet Geoff Mapaya, a South African music icon passionate about promoting local communities through music... moreGeoff Mapaya
Meet Geoff Mapaya, a South African music icon passionate about promoting local communities through music education, research, and collaboration. A highly accomplished musician, Mapaya holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Improvisation from the University of Cape Town, a Master's degree in Music Education from the University of the Witwatersrand, and a PhD in African Studies from the University of Venda.
Over the years, Mapaya has honed his craft to levels few can match, and his research on African indigenous knowledge systems and worldviews has been widely acclaimed. As an educator, he has played a pivotal role in nurturing talents, most of whom became international icons in their own right. Many more instrumentalists today are the mainstays of contemporary South African music.
Mapaya's collaborative work features some of the biggest names in South African music, including Moses Molelekwa, Mcedi Kupa, Jimmy Mgwandi, Nkanyezi Cele, Selaelo Selota, Lulu Gontsana, Buddy Wells, and Marcus Wyatt. He has also released four albums to critical acclaim and is recognised as a sophisticated sound engineer and producer.
In addition to his work as an educator and musician, Mapaya is involved in many arts-related activities to promote local communities. He co-founded the Indigenous Music and Oral History Project, the Audience Development Concerts, and several school-based programs run from the University of Venda.
Despite his many accomplishments, Mapaya remains humble and committed to uplifting marginalised communities. He has turned his back on Johannesburg in favour of working with rural communities in his home province of Limpopo. His dedication to community engagement has earned him a reputation as an exemplary educator, researcher, project manager, music producer, and overall entertainer.
Mapaya's virtuosity on guitar is unparalleled, and he has performed at countless festivals, including opening for UB 40 at the Green Point Stadium with his band Amajita and as a solo artist at the Mapungubwe Arts Festival, the Cultural Calabash, Jazz Heritage in the Northwest Province, Arts Alive in Soweto, Johannesburg Jazz on the Lake, and the prestigious East Comes Alive (now Ekurhuleni Comes Alive) at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, South Africa.
Mapaya's research on South African music has taken him to conferences worldwide, where he has delivered papers on the subject. He is widely recognised as a guitarist, band leader, music composer, and lecturer, but his true passion lies in community engagement and research.
In short, Geoff Mapaya is a South African music legend who has dedicated his life to promoting local communities through music education, research, and collaboration. His passion for uplifting marginalised communities, his virtuosity on the guitar, and his accomplishments as a sound engineer and producer make him a truly unique and inspiring figure in the world of music.edit
Literature on the culture of Bahananwa is not readily available, which means their contribution to knowledge making processes is insignificant. Their indigenous knowledge systems are codified in cultural practices including musical... more
Literature on the culture of Bahananwa is not readily available, which means their contribution to knowledge making processes is insignificant. Their indigenous knowledge systems are codified in cultural practices including musical performance. The study of these systems, music included, could translate into fresh modern approaches to the social sciences. This book presents an exposition into the cultural world of Bahananwa. It does so by adumbrating their history, habitat, cosmology and expected communal behavioural patterns. The soundscape and the learning processes involved in transmitting musical knowledge from one generation to the next is discussed, with the benefit of understanding aspects that keep the ‘dynamic' culture intact. Understanding these issues could be helpful to policy makers, curriculum planners and professionals in the cultural industries in their quest to be relevant to the course of modern-day Africa
Research Interests: Psychology and Art
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The study of African music has thus far been conducted through the languages of the colonisers. As a result, only the material aspects of the music have become known with other pertinent dimensions remaining inaccessible to scholarship.... more
The study of African music has thus far been conducted through the languages of the colonisers. As a result, only the material aspects of the music have become known with other pertinent dimensions remaining inaccessible to scholarship. From this situation, we could argue that the complete story of African music is yet to be told. However, deferring access to the full dimension of African music has dire consequences such as the inability to mount African music studies in schools. This article critically analysed the efficaciousness of vernacular languages in accessing cognitive aspects of the music. This approach should entice scholars to invest in the ‘scientification’ of African languages (Mazrui, 2004) where an African phenomenon is under study.
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In another study by the same researchers, a mental health promotion programme was implemented to teachers with the aim of improving and sustaining the quality of teaching and learning in dysfunctional rural schools. They recommended that... more
In another study by the same researchers, a mental health promotion programme was implemented to teachers with the aim of improving and sustaining the quality of teaching and learning in dysfunctional rural schools. They recommended that a study be conducted to explore the effectiveness of mental health promotion approach in creating and sustaining the quality of teaching and learning in rural dysfunctional schools. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of teachers on mental health promotion approach of creating a sustainable quality teaching and learning environment in rural schools. A qualitative design using essays was conducted with the participants consisting of teachers who were purposively selected. Teachers were requested to write essays narrating their experiences on the mental health promotion programme. Data were analysed using the open coding method. Results showed that through mental health promotion approach majority of teachers have benefitted to such extend that their self-worth and mental health have improved, and they have generally acquired skills to improve their quality of life and in a position to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The study concluded that if these teachers' teaching skills are improved, their mental health will be promoted. A mental healthy teacher can be motivated to improve and sustain the quality of teaching and learning at the schools. It is recommended that a study be conducted to explore the impact mental health on teaching and learning.
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Research Interests: Psychology and Vitality
This chapter addresses the challenges bedevilling the indigestion process of the curriculum in South Africa
Research Interests: Cultural Studies, African Studies, Music Education, African Music, African Musicology, and 8 moreAfrican Indigenous Musical Knowledge Systems, History of South African Education, CURRICULUM AND MATH ANXIETY ON ACHIEVEMENT OF MATHEMATICS IN MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL CHILDREN, Music Education Curriculum, Mmino wa setso, Mmino wa dinaka, Music Education in South African Schools, and cultural educaton
Due to the call for sekoele (African renaissance), Lesotho, like most African countries, is in the process of resuscitating practices deemed traditional, and many traditional music practices are still commonplace today, albeit in new... more
Due to the call for sekoele (African renaissance), Lesotho, like most African countries, is in the process of resuscitating practices deemed traditional, and many traditional music practices are still commonplace today, albeit in new contexts. This entry discusses two categories of performance practice in Lesotho: mmino wa bacha (music for the youth) and adult music. Mmino wa bacha refers to music associated with youth. Bacha (youth) are found in schools, which is a site where the idea of sekoele or cultural renaissance is energized. Lesotho embarked on a program that sought to resuscitate cultural practices by hosting countrywide campaigns and celebrating cultural days.
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The study of Africa has been a contested terrain fo r many years. But, in the past half century, the long-held canonical position of the white schol ar ‒ supposedly an ‘expert’ on Africa ‒ (henceforth referred to as the Africanist) has... more
The study of Africa has been a contested terrain fo r many years. But, in the past half century, the long-held canonical position of the white schol ar ‒ supposedly an ‘expert’ on Africa ‒ (henceforth referred to as the Africanist) has been eroded by the ascension of the African American voice. This development heralded two worldviews insofar as the study of Africa(ns) is concerned. In the last thirty years or so, a thi rd way buttressed by the emergence of the African scholar from Africa has also added to alter native opinion about Africa. For this and other reasons, the conceptions housing the study of Africa(ns) are shrouded in considerable differences of interpretations; hence the purpose o f this paper, which is to examine fundamental characteristics of the ‘conceptions’ ho using the study of Africa(ns) as they obtain in the three definitive regions, namely the United Kingdom, the United States of America and South Africa.
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This paper probes the problems of pedagogy within the South African context. The paper is written against the backdrop of the South African educational system that is at the crossroads regarding its adoption of a participatory form of... more
This paper probes the problems of pedagogy within the South African context. The paper is written against the backdrop of the South African educational system that is at the crossroads regarding its adoption of a participatory form of education (i.e., an educational system that is rooted on egalitarian ideals) or a system of education that is more elitist and has little, if any, to do with the uplifting of the historically marginalized. Since the paper is based on a conceptual analysis of theories of non‐formal and/or adult education, the praxis of the argument is informed by philosophers who have written extensively on the subject. Solid and educational policies are also compared in order to formulate conclusions and strategies based on the analysis of educational trends that encourage democratic ideals.
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Introduction Whereas written notation is at the heart of formal university-based music education, most Africans, and indeed many other societies acquire music-making skills aurally, orally; and through participation in the many rituals... more
Introduction Whereas written notation is at the heart of formal university-based music education, most Africans, and indeed many other societies acquire music-making skills aurally, orally; and through participation in the many rituals and socialisation processes commonly considered "informal." (1) The transition from the so-called "traditional" or "informal" to the supposed "formal" music training paradigms, especially at university level, has, for most black South Africans, been a relatively new experience, fraught with challenges. In the South African context, fully functional music qualification programs were and are still offered in historically whites-only universities (HWOUs). In the late 1980s, when these universities were forced to open their doors to all races, a few otherwise talented African students, but with little or less than adequate preparation from the erstwhile Bantu education system, gained access to university education. ...
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Literature on the culture of Bahananwa is not readily available, which means their contribution to knowledge making processes is insignificant. Their indigenous knowledge systems are codified in cultural practices including musical... more
Literature on the culture of Bahananwa is not readily available, which means their contribution to knowledge making processes is insignificant. Their indigenous knowledge systems are codified in cultural practices including musical performance. The study of these systems, music included, could translate into fresh modern approaches to the social sciences. This book presents an exposition into the cultural world of Bahananwa. It does so by adumbrating their history, habitat, cosmology and expected communal behavioural patterns. The soundscape and the learning processes involved in transmitting musical knowledge from one generation to the next is discussed, with the benefit of understanding aspects that keep the ‘dynamic' culture intact. Understanding these issues could be helpful to policy makers, curriculum planners and professionals in the cultural industries in their quest to be relevant to the course of modern-day Africa
This chapter reflects on the challenges of indigenising the music curriculum in South African schools. Two anecdotes presented in the introduction reveal the difficulty of defining the concept 'music' in the face of diversified cultures.... more
This chapter reflects on the challenges of indigenising the music curriculum in South African schools. Two anecdotes presented in the introduction reveal the difficulty of defining the concept 'music' in the face of diversified cultures. Most importantly, what kind of music should be taught in a classroom, or whether the matter of choice is fair given the disparity insofar as the availability of African music study materials is concerned. The action research methodology is employed. giving the researcher a privileged position in learning about the inner workings of a curriculum design process which eventually delivered the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. This work is part of the larger conversation about curriculum development in South Africa.
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ABSTRACT
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In the so-called African millennium, it is perhaps excusable to pretend that African scholarship has come of age. Almost 20 years after the seminal article by Professor Thandika Mkandawire, which proffered a generational profile of the... more
In the so-called African millennium, it is perhaps excusable
to pretend that African scholarship has come
of age. Almost 20 years after the seminal article by
Professor Thandika Mkandawire, which proffered a
generational profile of the African scholar, it is perhaps
opportune now to revisit the subject. Following on this
historical masterpiece, the present article seeks to
present a critique of what has become the hallmark of
African scholarship albeit from a narrow South African
perspective. It does so by taking into account some
of the factors (good or bad) responsible for the status
quo. A random sample of academic articles, including
interviews with a number of African scholars, was used
to formulate the argument in this article. A critique of
the human capital in selected South African universities
was also essential in completing a picture of academic
progress or lack thereof. While not undermining the
milestones reached, a kind of introspective reflection
on the state of African scholarship can only aid the
advancement of African knowledge enterprise; hence
this instalment.
to pretend that African scholarship has come
of age. Almost 20 years after the seminal article by
Professor Thandika Mkandawire, which proffered a
generational profile of the African scholar, it is perhaps
opportune now to revisit the subject. Following on this
historical masterpiece, the present article seeks to
present a critique of what has become the hallmark of
African scholarship albeit from a narrow South African
perspective. It does so by taking into account some
of the factors (good or bad) responsible for the status
quo. A random sample of academic articles, including
interviews with a number of African scholars, was used
to formulate the argument in this article. A critique of
the human capital in selected South African universities
was also essential in completing a picture of academic
progress or lack thereof. While not undermining the
milestones reached, a kind of introspective reflection
on the state of African scholarship can only aid the
advancement of African knowledge enterprise; hence
this instalment.
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Music pedagogy places a premium on written notation, sometimes to the detriment of orality. This, in the main, explains the disjuncture between South African university-based music education and music praxis obtaining within black... more
Music pedagogy places a premium on written notation, sometimes to the detriment of orality. This, in the main, explains the disjuncture between South African university-based music education and music praxis obtaining within black communities. It is for this reason that most African students coming from an oral tradition background struggle to adjust quickly enough to make a success of their university study periods. Those who eventually succeed often are " over-educated, " thus ending up estranged from their musical communities; or " mis-or over-educated " for most of the local music industry career requirements. This paper aims to appraise the pros and cons of university-based music training in relation to South African musical praxis. It does so through engaging various contemporary qualitative research methodologies largely predicated on the grounded theory framework. Data was collected through interviews with individual black African musicians. The sampling procedure was purposive in that it sought to capture abstractions and explications from predetermined sets of musicians; university-educated on the one hand, and the " self-taughts " on the other. After inductive analysis of data, the study clarifies what seems to shape music skill acquisition in South Africa; scant regard for local music industries and community settings; and the impact of the sudden availability of a multiplicity of alternative sources information and avenues to acquire music knowledge and skills.
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This paper dwells, in the main, on jazz appreciation societies in urbanised South Africa; particularly their origin, role and meaning. On the continent of Africa, South Africa stands out as the country that has a globally recognised jazz... more
This paper dwells, in the main, on jazz appreciation societies in urbanised South Africa; particularly their origin, role and meaning. On the continent of Africa, South Africa stands out as the country that has a globally recognised jazz tradition and that the tradition is linked to the origins of jazz in the United States of America, which dates back to the early 1900. Yet South Africa jazz has seen different styles come and go, creating a strong tradition of listening to jazz by fashionable audiences who gather on weekends, traditionally Sundays, to list en to their beloved jazz recordings. This ritual is accompanied by specific dress codes, intriguing city language and improvised dance styles. Mostly, not musicians themselves, these people have kindled the jazz tradition throughout times when commercialism has threatened, and continues to threaten the very existence of the art. Drawing from jazz interviews with appreciation society members and jazz radio programme anchors in Gaut...
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Abstract More than anything, music is a cultural phenomenon. At this level, music should be regarded as folklore. However, in recent history, music has been pushed ‘up’ to occupy some high grounds in order to serve the elites. Thus,... more
Abstract
More than anything, music is a cultural phenomenon. At this level, music should be regarded as folklore. However, in recent history, music has been pushed ‘up’ to occupy some high grounds in order to serve the elites. Thus, music has gained residency in churches and in palaces, especially in Europe. These symbols of elitism have now been replaced by commerce, which is more global. Nonetheless, music continues to serve the rich and the powerful. Traditional music on the other hand has remained somewhat true to its originsas music of the peasants. Fast forward to today, there seems to occur a return of the elite music to the source or its organic origin. This phenomenon is evidenced in the apparent consciousness that intentionally infuses folklore into genres of music previously associated with the elite groups. This paper reviews the infusion of folklore into South African jazz.
More than anything, music is a cultural phenomenon. At this level, music should be regarded as folklore. However, in recent history, music has been pushed ‘up’ to occupy some high grounds in order to serve the elites. Thus, music has gained residency in churches and in palaces, especially in Europe. These symbols of elitism have now been replaced by commerce, which is more global. Nonetheless, music continues to serve the rich and the powerful. Traditional music on the other hand has remained somewhat true to its originsas music of the peasants. Fast forward to today, there seems to occur a return of the elite music to the source or its organic origin. This phenomenon is evidenced in the apparent consciousness that intentionally infuses folklore into genres of music previously associated with the elite groups. This paper reviews the infusion of folklore into South African jazz.
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Due to the call for sekoele (African renaissance), Lesotho, like most African countries, is in the process of resuscitating practices deemed traditional, and many traditional music practices are still commonplace today, albeit in new... more
Due to the call for sekoele (African renaissance), Lesotho, like most African countries, is in the process of resuscitating practices deemed traditional, and many traditional music practices are still commonplace today, albeit in new contexts. This entry discusses two categories of performance practice in Lesotho: mmino wa bacha (music for the youth) and adult music. Mmino wa bacha refers to music associated with youth. Bacha (youth) are found in schools, which is a site where the idea of sekoele or cultural renaissance is energized. Lesotho embarked on a program that sought to resuscitate cultural practices by hosting countrywide campaigns and celebrating cultural days.
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This chapter puts forward an account of the dynamics around the livelihood of individual practitioners: It deals with socio–economic issues, with strategies for the general promotion of a music genre. It investigates issues of identity... more
This chapter puts forward an account of the dynamics around the livelihood of individual practitioners: It deals with socio–economic issues, with strategies for the general promotion of a music genre. It investigates issues of identity and other matters pertinent to the study of the genre and its practitioners. The study takes all these issues under the organising argument that once a dipela musical genre is established, then there will be a clear platform where debates on issues pertaining to survival can be launched. In other words, the dipela music genre offers a possible opportunity for transition from pedestrian to professional musicianship, and this is our hypothesis.