A Research Itinerary from Fieldwork to Archives: Cape Town (South Africa), Festivals, Music, ‘Identities,’ Politics

Résumé En Fr Pt

For more than twenty years (from 1992 till 2015) I did research on the New Year Festivals which are organized at the beginning of every year in Cape Town (South Africa). These festivals include three series of competitions: between carnival troupes named Klopse (from the English clubs), between male choirs called Singkoore or Malay Choirs and between Christian brass bands known as Christmas Choirs or Christmas Bands. In the course of this research, I conducted a great number of interviews, videoed and photographed the festivals and their preparations, collected many printed documents on which I based several articles, book chapters and books (in English and in French); I also recorded a CD with a local choir singing for the Klopse as well as for the Singkoore and produced a video documentary on the 1994 edition of the festival. In this paper I explain the conditions in which I conducted this research, underlining the importance of the partnership I entered into with major actors of the festivals, and signal the implications of such partnerships. I also discuss the conditions in which my documentation was assembled and why most of it was deposited with a South African musical archive.

De 1992 à 2015, j’ai poursuivi une recherche au Cap, en Afrique du Sud, portant sur les fêtes du Nouvel An, consistant en compétitions de troupes de carnaval (Klopse), de chœurs masculins (Malay Choirs) et de fanfares chrétiennes (Christmas Choirs). Au cours de cette recherche, j’ai enregistré de nombreux entretiens, filmé et photographié les manifestations festives et leurs préparatifs, collecté de la documentation imprimée, tous matériaux qui ont servi à la rédaction de nombreux textes en français et en anglais, qu’un film documentaire et un CD ont complétés. Cet article retrace les conditions dans lesquelles j’ai effectué cette recherche au long cours. Il souligne le partenariat indispensable avec des acteurs importants de ces fêtes ainsi que ses implications. Il indique enfin comment la documentation a été collectée puis déposée aux archives d’un centre de documentation musicale en Afrique du Sud.

De 1992 a 2015, realizei uma investigação na cidade do Cabo, na África do Sul, relativa às festividades do Ano Novo, as quais consistem em competições de grupos carnavalescos (Klopse), de coros masculinos (Malay Choirs) e de fanfarras cristãs (Christmas Choirs). No decurso desta pesquisa gravei numerosas entrevistas, filmei e fotografei as manifestações festivas e respectivos preparativos, recolhi documentação impressa. Esses materiais serviram de base à redacção de textos em francês e inglês, completados por um filme documentário e um CD. O artigo descreve as condições em que efectuei a investigação ao longo do tempo. Sublinha ainda a parceria indispensável com protagonistas importantes destas festas assim como as suas implicações. Finalmente explica como foi realizada a recolha de documentação, posteriormente depositada nos arquivos de um centro de documentação musical sul-africano.