The video of Keegan Baker, a ten year old South African white boy from KwaZulu-Natal, enthusiastic about the Zulu culture has had tongues wagging on social media.
In the video which has gone viral, the ten year old boy, fluent in isiZulu is seen dancing and singing Zulu songs, while wearing his traditional Zulu regalia.
According to TimesLive, Keegan’s mother said he has been speaking the language since he was two. The boy was taught by the family’s domestic worker, who even named Sandile and has been perfecting his language skills through watching television programmes in isiZulu including the Shaka Zulu series.
The boy is passionate about the Zulu culture and harbours a dream of becoming a sangoma.
Keegan has received plaudits for embracing the language and aspects of its culture, but there are some people who feel his dream of becoming a sangoma is far-fetched considering that being a sangoma is a calling one receives from the ancestors rather than a choice.
There have been questions whether the boy’s adoption of aspects of the Zulu culture is cultural appropriation or it is just a fascination with a different culture, which should be encouraged.
Without dwelling on the intricacies of how a white boy can become a “white Zulu”, the story has ignited debate on the merits of cultural integration, which is viewed by some as promoting cohesion.
There are some who have been appreciating this form of cultural integration and see it as a healthy amalgamation of beliefs and practices of unique cultures, which promotes the “rainbow nation” belief.
Watch video (Video courtesy of News24)
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Source: TimesLive
