Peace at last? Quite possibly as the BBC says 'we can silence the vuvuzelas'



Red button would strip out crowd noise

Ronaldo leads players' protests over match noise

Sepp Blatter defends fans who blow 'horn of Africa'



British supermarkets sell a vuvuzela every two seconds



Internet download offers TV fans some respite



TV viewers could soon be able to cut out the annoying sound of the vuvuzela when they watch World Cup matches.

The BBC is thinking about the possibility of offering ‘vuvuzela free’ coverage via its red button after hundreds of complaints.

Fans say the droning sound of the plastic horns, which has been likened to the buzzing of millions of angry bees, is drowning out coverage and leaving them with aching eardrums.

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Vuvuzelas can generate a drone of up to 144 decibels inside stadiums, which is louder than fireworks, a plane taking off or a rock concert.

Now the BBC is looking into providing ‘clean’ coverage, which would strip out most crowd noise.

A BBC spokesman said last night: ‘We have already taken steps to minimise the noise and are continuing to monitor the situation. If the vuvuzela continues to impact on audience enjoyment, we will look at what other options we can take to reduce the volume further.’



The BBC’s plans emerged after World Cup officials said yesterday that the vuvuzela will stay at the tournament, despite earlier claims that the horns could be banned.

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Spokesman Rich Mkhondo said: ‘Vuvuzelas are here to stay and will never be banned. Look at them as part of our culture in South Africa to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup.’



He said the noise is part of the fabric of football in Africa, similar to English rattles, the football flares of Italy, the air horns of Holland and the ticker tape that greets teams in South America.



But football fans in Britain are buying vuvuzelas at a rate of one every two seconds.



Some suppliers claimed the UK had been gripped by ‘vuvuzela fever.’

Sainsbury's sold 22,000 red vuvuzelas in 12 hours before England's game - one every two seconds. The supermarket chain has ordered 25,000 extra horns but thinks it may run out before Friday's game against Algeria.

Online retailer Amazon said sales of the horn had increased by 1,000 per cent.



Those who can't get hold of a real vuvuzela can now download a virtual version of the trumpet-like instrument to their mobile phones.

Vuvuzela 'apps' are storming the Apple iTunes charts, allowing users to turn their phone into a virtual trumpet.



There are around 11 vuvuzela apps available from Apple's App Store. One named 'Vuvuzela 2010' has been downloaded more than 750,000 times, and is currently the most popular free app in the entertainment category, while another, Virtual Vuvuzela, is the seventh most popular free sports app.

Many fans have been surprised by the noise created by the £2 plastic horns – which are blasted by thousands of supporters during games – with some forced to wear ear plugs to combat the din.

To TV viewers the trumpets simply sound like a constant buzzing through 90 minutes of football.

Mr Mkhondo’s confirmation that vuvuzelas would continue to be allowed into World Cup stadia followed weekend reports that officials were considering banning the horns.

Yesterday the England Supporters’ Band backed the use of the vuvuzela, arguing that ‘when in Rome’ the local culture should be respected.

Sheffield-based trumpeter John Hemmingham – who leads the eight-man England orchestra which has not missed a game since 1996 – said the horns were a good thing.‘It’s the way South Africans express their joy and pleasure at the tournament being here,’ he said.

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A recent survey found that the sound emitted by a vuvuzela was the equivalent to 127 decibels - louder than a drum's 122 decibels, or a referee's whistle at 121.8 decibels.

Vuvuzelas are modern spin-offs of traditional instruments made from spiralling kudu horns.



Van Schalkwyk said he decided to develop a plastic version after spotting the original versions of the horn being blown at games.

They are sold by vendors outside the grounds for the equivalent of £2.50.



The company says it had sold 1.5 million vuvuzelas in Europe since October in addition to the millions it has sold in South Africa.



MUSICAL DESCENDANT OF THE 'KUDU HORN'



The vuvuzela's musical ancestor is said to be the kudu horn (pictured) - ixilongo in isiXhosa, mhalamhala in Tshivenda - blown to summon African villagers to meetings, according to South African tourism chiefs.

Later versions were made of tin.

The trumpet became so popular at football matches in the late 1990s that a company, Masincedane Sport, was formed in 2001 to mass-produce it.

Made of plastic, they come in a variety of colours - black or white for fans of Orlando Pirates, yellow for Kaizer Chiefs, and so on.

There's uncertainty on the origin of the word 'vuvuzela'.

Some say it comes from the isiZulu for 'making noise'.

Others say it's from township slang related to the word 'shower', because it 'showers people with music'. Or, more prosaically, looks a little like a shower head.

The announcement, on 15 May 2004, that South Africa would host the 2010 Fifa World Cup gave the vuvuzela a huge boost, to say the least - some 20 000 were sold on the day by enterprising street vendors.

It's a noisy thing, so there's no surprise some don't like it. Journalist Jon Qwelane once quipped that he had taken to watching football matches at home - with the volume turned low - because of what he described as 'an instrument of hell'.



Masincedane Sport expects the tournament will generate sales of up to 20 million rand (around £1.8 million).



South African shopkeepers have also reported a boom in earplug sales as visiting fans try to avoid the noise at matches.



Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was the latest World Cup star to voice unease about the trumpet, telling reporters that it affected players' focus.

'It is difficult for anyone on the pitch to concentrate,' the Real Madrid star told a press conference.



'A lot of players don't like them, but they are going to have to get used to them.'

France captain Patrice Evra has blamed the noise for waking the team in their hotel and stopping the players from hearing each other on the pitch.

And Argentina's Lionel Messi complained they made it impossible for players to communicate on the pitch.

But England defender Jamie Carragher said he's been asked to take some back.



'My kids have been on the phone and they want two. I've got two in my bag already,' Carragher added.

The vuvuzela also secured support from the England Supporters' Band as the travelling musicians vowed to compete with the deafening sound of the vuvuzela.



The brass orchestra, which has not missed an England game home or away since 1996, promised 'the band will play on' despite the din of the South African horns.



After England took on the US in Rustenburg on Saturday, football pundit Chris Kamara complained the noise was stopping fans from generating chants around the ground.



But Mr Hemmingham said: 'We didn't have any problem. The fans around us were all singing along. And a lot of our fans were joining in with us using their vuvuzelas. It all added to the atmosphere.



'There was definitely a different vibe about the place.

'The South Africans are loving it. And when in Rome, you just have to go along with it.



'I bet there is not a single South African player complaining about the vuvuzela. They see it as more than just a noise, it's about the whole spirit of the thing.'



He added: 'They have certainly created a great new market in ear plugs.'



Travelling England fans are subjected to the vuvuzela not just at the stadiums but also around town, early in the morning and late at night.



Mr Hemmingham said: 'You hear them when you land at the airport, you hear them in the shopping malls, and the streets are full of them - it's a 24-hour a day experience.'



But England fans at home are being turned off by the annoying buzz.

Research revealed six out of ten fans who watch games at home are now doing so with the volume turned down to cut out the incessant horn-blowing.



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One in four said the noise was ruining their enjoyment of the tournament and seven out of ten want the vuvuzelas banned completely from stadiums.

A string of vuvuzela tales also emerged from the study, including one old lady who rang her cable provider to complain about the 'loud buzzing' coming from her television.



Another pensioner called pest control in over the weekend amid fears her house was being attacked by a swarm of bees as she watched England draw with the USA.



It also emerged thousands of husbands have been asked to turn the volume down by long-suffering wives due to the infuriating hum which accompanies every game.

Poll Should vuvuzelas be banned? Yes No Should vuvuzelas be banned? Yes 28216 votes

No 9620 votes Now share your opinion





In the run-up to the World Cup experts revealed the noise from the vuvuzelas is similar to that generated by a chainsaw

A spokesman for OnePoll.com, which carried out the research said: 'The Vuvuzelas are even more unpopular than Robert Green at the moment.

'They are incredibly annoying. Walking around the strees you can hear the buzz coming from people's houses.

'They really are spoiling the enjoyment of the competition for millions of viewers.

'Women are finding them particularly annoying and they are causing people who would have liked to watch games to avoid them because of the noise.

'One respondent said he had watched every game so far with the sound turned down.' OnePoll carried out the study among 3,000 fans via their iPhones.

Meanwhile, help could be at hand for TV viewers put off by the constant droning - an internet download promises to eliminate the sound from broadcasts.



Fans play the £2.45 MP3 file on their HiFi or computer while watching football and it uses 'active noise cancellation' to silence the horns.



The download generates a series of inverted sound waves that 'clash' with the waves of the vuvuzela to effectively cancel each other out.

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The download lasts 45 minutes - enough for one half of football - and can be put on repeat for the second half.



The website, antivuvuzelafilter.com, says: 'This is your chance to enjoy the FIFA World Cup 2010 WITHOUT the annoying vuvuzela noise!



'Get rid of the vuvuzela noise through active noise cancellation.'



For maximum effect, antivuvuzelafilter.com say their download should be played through a speaker placed next to the television and set to the same volume.

If done properly it should make the vuvuzelas 'so faint as to be inaudible to human ears'.





