The Vuvuzela

I have always wondered what that droning sound like a giant hive of bees at international soccer games was. I've been hearing it again at the World Cup games. So I decided to ask my international students what caused the sound. They explained that the sound comes from a three-foot long plastic horn called a vuvuzela that many of the fans use to cheer on their teams. Apparently the horn came from South Africa originally and then spread to Mexico and then around the world. I imagine the word comes from an African language. It is also called a lepatata. Apparently, some people don't like the sound of the horn and want to ban its use. I think that would be a shame. That crazy, constant noise has become a part of soccer.