College of Humanities Academics Win UKZN Book Prize

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Academics Professor Christopher Ballantine of the School of Arts: Music and Professor Goolam Vahed of the School of Social Sciences, each received the coveted 2012/13 UKZN Book Prize for books they have had published.

Ballantine’s book is titled: Marabi Nights – Jazz, ‘Race’ and Society in Early Apartheid South Africa, while Vahed’s is titled: The Making of a South African Township.

Ballantine won the prize under Category A: Academic Book, and Vahed under Category B: Edited Book award. Both books were published by UKZN Press. 

‘The UKZN Book Prize is a prestigious honour for our authors,’ said Ms Adele Branch of UKZN Press. ‘The number of submissions is huge, especially as there are a lot of academics who publish books via overseas or other local publishers or through departments and other avenues.

‘We are proud of these two titles – they are certainly iconic in the true sense of the word as they address something unique in South Africa, and, although being academic titles, are written in a very accessible style making them attractive to a wide reading audience.’

Ballantine’s book is an updated and substantially expanded second edition of his classic study of the triumphs and tragedies of South Africa’s marabi-jazz tradition. New chapters extend the book’s in-depth account of the birth and development of urban Black popular music.

They include a powerful story about gender relations and music in the context of forced migrant labour in the 1950s, a critical study of the legendary Manhattan Brothers that uniquely positions their music and words in relation to the apartheid system, and an account of the musical, political and commercial strategies of the local record industry.

Asked if his material is taught to music students at UKZN, Ballantine replied: ‘Yes - and not only to music students at UKZN. The book is used in university music departments around the country, and it’s widely prescribed in universities in the UK, the USA and elsewhere. It crops up in non-music programmes, too. The book makes it possible for students – indeed for anyone who is interested in jazz or South African music in general – to become aware of the history and the social meanings of marabi-jazz.’

Vahed’s book, edited with Professor Ashwin Desai, Chatsworth: The Making of a South African Township, brings together the voices of residents of Chatsworth, the “Indian township” created by apartheid’s planners in 1960.

Film Director, Author and Actor Naresh Veeran is among those who share their memories of Chatsworth. He says the stories in the book are about the establishment of Chatsworth and how people remade their lives there. ‘Many of the chapters are about the everyday lives of people and their memories and experiences of life in Chatsworth, both during the apartheid era and in the post-apartheid period where many continue to live on the margins.’

The book is targeted at an academic audience, residents and former residents of Chatsworth, and those interested in diaspora and the history of South Africa during the apartheid era and transitions in the post-apartheid period.

Vahed said his book was an edited collection which brought together the work of almost 20 contributors, many of them from UKZN.

‘This took a lot of hard work, including logistical and communication problems. The end result is a book that we are all proud of.  I must express thanks and appreciation to the UKZN Press’ team of Sally Hines, Debra Primo and Louis Gaigher for their encouragement and for accommodating our many requests. They went beyond what was required of them. I would also like to thank the various contributors, my co-editor Ashwin Desai and the people of Chatsworth who so willingly gave of their time and shared their memories.’

The books are available from Exclusive Books, Adams, Amazon, and Loot and Kalahari, among other outlets.

Melissa Mungroo