The Vuvuzela is Here to Stay!

A Vuvuzela, or stadium horn, is a blowing horn that is commonly used by fans at football matches in South Africa. The instrument, originally made out of tin became popular in the 1990s. In 2001, South African company, Masincedane Sport began mass producing plastic versions of the instrument. The origin of the Vuvuzela’s use has been disputed, but is said to have been rooted in African history where a similar horn was used to call villagers to meetings.

There has been some recent controversy over the use of the Vuvuzela. Some players, coaches, and broadcasters find the noise of the instrument irritating and distracting during football matches. For now however, the instrument that has been a South African ritual for so long will stick around for the 2010 World Cup. In fact, car manufacturer Hyundai as well as a South African advertising agency, Jupiter Drawing Room teamed up to create the largest working Vuvuzela in the world. The horn is 114 feet long and is powered by several air horns. The mammoth instrument will be blown at the beginning of each of the World Cup matches.