Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Musical activities, religious or spiritual, share much in common. They tend to evoke powerful emotional responses in participating individuals and have great significance at the personal, social and communal levels. Music and dance have always been strongly connected in South Africa. The songs of So...

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Main Author: Julia Mantsali Modise
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-12-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/1/45
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author Julia Mantsali Modise
author_facet Julia Mantsali Modise
author_sort Julia Mantsali Modise
collection DOAJ
description Musical activities, religious or spiritual, share much in common. They tend to evoke powerful emotional responses in participating individuals and have great significance at the personal, social and communal levels. Music and dance have always been strongly connected in South Africa. The songs of South Africa were prominent for the social and political role they played in the struggle against apartheid rule. Post-apartheid era songs were used to reconcile a nation that was deeply divided. <i>Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika</i> (God Bless Africa), became the national anthem of a democratic South Africa. <i>Jerusalema</i> music and dance was unofficially adopted as the Heritage Day song when President Cyril Ramaphosa encouraged the people to participate in the Jerusalemadancechallenge “to remember the loved ones lost to the COVID-19 disease and to quietly rejoice in the diverse heritage of our nation”. A qualitative study was conducted using webnography to find the meaning ascribed to <i>Jerusalema</i> music by the viewers of the video during the COVID-19 pandemic. While several themes emerged after the qualitative content analysis was performed, the focus of this article was on one of the themes that led the viewers of this music video to believe that <i>Jerusalema</i> brought the world together through music and dance during the COVID-19 hard lockdown. South Africans embraced it as the Heritage Day song.
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spelling doaj.art-29eca40f2ba94f98994474a0e6f8b4892023-12-01T00:16:53ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-12-011414510.3390/rel14010045Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 PandemicJulia Mantsali Modise0Research Entity: MASARA, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South AfricaMusical activities, religious or spiritual, share much in common. They tend to evoke powerful emotional responses in participating individuals and have great significance at the personal, social and communal levels. Music and dance have always been strongly connected in South Africa. The songs of South Africa were prominent for the social and political role they played in the struggle against apartheid rule. Post-apartheid era songs were used to reconcile a nation that was deeply divided. <i>Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika</i> (God Bless Africa), became the national anthem of a democratic South Africa. <i>Jerusalema</i> music and dance was unofficially adopted as the Heritage Day song when President Cyril Ramaphosa encouraged the people to participate in the Jerusalemadancechallenge “to remember the loved ones lost to the COVID-19 disease and to quietly rejoice in the diverse heritage of our nation”. A qualitative study was conducted using webnography to find the meaning ascribed to <i>Jerusalema</i> music by the viewers of the video during the COVID-19 pandemic. While several themes emerged after the qualitative content analysis was performed, the focus of this article was on one of the themes that led the viewers of this music video to believe that <i>Jerusalema</i> brought the world together through music and dance during the COVID-19 hard lockdown. South Africans embraced it as the Heritage Day song.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/1/45musical rituals<i>Jerusalem</i> dancemusicspiritualitywellbeingreligion
spellingShingle Julia Mantsali Modise
Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Religions
musical rituals
<i>Jerusalem</i> dance
music
spirituality
wellbeing
religion
title Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_fullStr Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_short Jerusalema, a Heritage Day Song of the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_sort jerusalema a heritage day song of the covid 19 pandemic
topic musical rituals
<i>Jerusalem</i> dance
music
spirituality
wellbeing
religion
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/1/45
work_keys_str_mv AT juliamantsalimodise jerusalemaaheritagedaysongofthecovid19pandemic