World Cup fever starts with the vuvuzela

The World Cup 2010 started today in South Africa and Barga is already buzzing and humming with football talk. The Lake Angels up at Vignola are not the only ones well prepared for the games (article here) as many of the restaurants have also put up large tv screens for their customers to watch the games. World Cup fever has started.

A new sound has also started to arrive in the piazzas – that of local kids blowing on the Italian version of plastic vuvuzela trumpets.

So what are vuvuzela ?  By itself, it’s just a small plastic trumpet that probably cost less than a euro to make and creates no known musical notes. But when thousands of people toot them simultaneously, you get a loud, incessant hum that makes the entire stadium sound like it’s being attacked by angry bees. It’s a staple at any South African soccer match and … surprise! Everyone hates it!

FIFA president Sepp Blatter revealed this week that broadcasters want the instrument banned at the World Cup.

But to his eternal credit, the Fifa chief also sprang to the defence of the humble trumpet, saying people must accept that it is part and parcel of football in South Africa.

“That is what African and South Africa football is all about – noise, excitement, dancing, shouting and enjoyment,” said the most powerful man in world football.

Alessandro Rizzardi sitting outside the L’osteria in Piazza Angelio decided that it was possible to get more that just one drone like note out of the vuvuzela. Watch the video below for the proof.