The vuvuzela sometimes referred to as a “lepatata” (its Tswana name) or a stadium horn, is really a blowing horn about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length. It’s generally blown by enthusiasts at football matches in South Africa. A similar instrument (identified as corneta in Brazil and other Latin American countries) is utilised by football supporters in South America.
Vuvuzelas have been controversial. They have been linked with long lasting noise-induced hearing loss, cited as a achievable safety risk when fans cannot hear evacuation bulletins, and potentially spread colds and disease viruses on a higher level than coughing or yelling. Many want to buy vuvuzela, although vuvuzelas have also been blamed for drowning the seem and atmosphere of soccer games.
Fans have referred to the seem as “bothersome” and compared it with “a herd of noisy elephants,” “a loud swarm of insects,” “a sheep on the way to slaughter” and “a giant hive full of incredibly angry bees.” The seem level of the device has been tested at 127 decibels adding to sports matches with very high sound pressure values for unprotected ears. A new model, however, announced on 14 June 2010, has a modified mouthpiece which is believed to reduce the volume by 20 decibels.