isicathamiya, noun

/(ɪ)s(i)kataˈmija/, /ˌis(i)kataˈmija/, /(ɪ)s(i)ǀataˈmija/, /ˌis(i)ǀataˈmija/
Forms:
iscathamiya, scathamiyaShow more Also iscathamiya, scathamiya, sicathamiya, sichathamiya, and with initial capital.
Origin:
IsiZuluShow more IsiZulu, literally ‘stalking movement’, formed on noun prefix isi- + cathama stand or walk stealthily or on tip-toe (referring to the movements of the singers).
Music
mbube. Also attributive.
1980 B. Mthethwa in Papers, Symposium on Ethnomusicology, 1980 (Internat. Library of Afr. Music, 1981) 24The secular version of the hymn resulted in today’s black popular music. The more serious, emotional text of this secular hymn became known as ingomabusuku (night song) or, as we call it today, sicathamiya.
1982 Pace Feb. 69They call themselves The Lovely Brothers, they are a group of seven, and they say their bag is Scathamiya (Zulu choral folk music).
1988 J. Khumalo in Pace May 7Everybody knows that Isicathamiya has all these years been regarded as music of the rustics. Sophisticated blacks wouldn’t be seen dead appreciating this kind of ‘junk’.
1989 G. O’Hara in Weekly Mail 20 Jan. 25Leader of the 10-man isicathamiya (or mbube) group, Joseph Shabalala,..is ‘very happy that people overseas have accepted our music, our singing without instruments...In New York, many ladies and gentlemen..are singing isicathamiya’.
1989 A. Tracey Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)Isicathamiya grew out of mbube and the name refers to the movement associated with singing the songs...The songs are often gospel songs, but isicathamiya does not necessarily have to be gospel music.
1990 Tribute Apr. 24A’capella music became harmonised and then that was the birth of Ngomabusuku/Sicathamiya, which evolved into what Ladysmith Black Mambazo is doing today.
1990 Weekly Mail 21 Dec. (Suppl.) 31We have seen Grammy-award-winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo put ’sichatamiya (antiphonal/choral call and response/mbube) music back on the map.
1994 Weekly Mail & Guardian 13 May 9A spirited African interpretation of Ravel’s Bolero, complete with drums and gumboot dancing; isicathamiya and doo-wop choruses.
mbube. Also attributive.
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IsiZulu
isicamtho, nounn.isichwe, nounn.
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