- 2 days ago
South African music is a vibrant, evolving landscape driven by rich vocal harmonies, deep-rooted storytelling, and the global explosion of genres like Amapiano. With roots in township, rural, and suburban traditions, artists use music to express freedom, identity, and social commentary, with the post-1994 "sound of democracy" continuing to redefine the nation's cultural influence.
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:01Welcome to South Africa where the choral tradition is alive and well and the power
00:09of the voice has never been stronger part of a musical tradition as varied ancient
00:17and fascinating as Africa herself this is where I really feel at home I'm Rita Ray I'm a DJ I'm
00:29a
00:29music obsessive I'm a Londoner and I'm an African and I'm constantly amazed that we think we know
00:37nothing of the sounds that come from here sounds from countries as diverse as South Africa with
00:46its heartbreaking harmonies Mali and its ancient melodies and Nigeria home of Afrobeat
00:59and the driving force of African pop but so much of what we listen to in the West has deep
01:05roots and
01:06strong connections to the music that comes from this amazing continent they don't call Africa the
01:13motherland for nothing it's the wellspring of the blues of jazz of rock and roll this continent has
01:24it all and living breathing contemporary music from here has never been more popular it is an
01:32incredible time for music in Africa so what are the traditions that created the music I love so much
01:39who are the key players and where do we need to start the search for these unique sounds
02:01South Africa the southernmost tip of the continent and the richest country in Africa
02:12what Desmond Tutu called the rainbow nation is a patchwork of diverse ethnic communities and 11 official
02:20languages but whenever I hear the word South Africa I always think of just one thing the unmistakable
02:32vocal harmonies of its music so I want to find out more about the power of this music in how
02:47it has given
02:48South Africa a voice internationally and help define the identity of a newly reborn nation from Johannesburg
02:56home of both surprisingly modern and deeply traditional voices to Cape Town where songs have helped keep a
03:06nation's struggle alive and across the belt of KwaZulu-Natal to Durban to explore the origins of the unique
03:14vocal harmonies that the world has fallen in love with
03:18the world has fallen in love with
03:22the world has fallen in love with
03:30this is Lady Smith as in Black Man Basel because we are in KwaZulu-Natal and you all know when
03:37you hear
03:37Lady Smith those glorious acapella vocals and the wonderful little dance routines this is where they come from
03:45this is where they come from
03:54Lady Smith Black Man Basel are arguably the most well-known South African group in the world
04:00fame came in 1986 after they featured on American singer songwriter Paul Simon's album Graceland
04:20the record sold 16 million copies introducing many of us to the unique sounds of the South African voice for
04:29the first time
04:40Oh you can you can hear the vocals the acapella vocals of Lady Smith
04:47yeah
04:50is this where it came out
04:55but this part of South Africa is home to hundreds of similar vocal groups
05:00all singing these signature Zulu call and response harmonies
05:13this is Durban
05:21the third biggest city in the country on the shores of the Indian Ocean
05:33the roots of the South African acapella tradition run deep here and I want to know where they come from
05:41the roots of the South African acapella tradition run deep here and I want to know where they come from
05:58do you sing with the Zulu messengers?
06:00no we are supporters
06:01oh your supporters super fans
06:08every week fans gather to listen to their favourite choirs and the competition is fierce
06:16how many times have they won?
06:18how many times have they won?
06:19like 100 times
06:20100 times
06:21yes
06:22100 times
06:23100 times
06:23yes
06:24so what are you going to do if they come last tonight?
06:28no
06:28no
06:29no
06:30no
06:39no
06:40no
06:41no
06:41no
06:41no
06:42no
06:58no
06:59no
07:03During weekends, guys were living in the hostels,
07:07working in mines.
07:09The very poor areas, yeah?
07:12Yeah, yeah.
07:13And these people are very suffering.
07:16Very, very, very suffering.
07:20The lyrics tell stories of displacement,
07:23rape, murder, even backstreet abortions.
07:30In Spresicht womanmen,
07:33In Spresicht Ewes to 30 am.
07:39It's vicious you are no present.
07:45It's vicious you are streets the desert.
07:48But it's meaningless all 69nez.
07:57It's ivy into Chicken and Dai Some.
08:00In Spresichtewing.
08:00In Spresichtewing.
08:14What we are singing about, we feel, that's the main part.
08:19We have to feel something if you sing.
08:21It was just so strong.
08:25It's a type of music that's always producing the messages.
08:31It's not like going on the stage, oh guys, let's go and pose and pose and all that.
08:36No, but it's just give the people the soul messages.
08:47The song Mwube was the very first commercially successful Isikatamia record,
08:53recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linder.
08:57His call and response vocal harmonies went on to become one of the most covered songs of all time.
09:04That song, we know it as The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
09:07In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
09:14So we all know this song, but we didn't know that it came from the mind work.
09:20Yes.
09:23Solomon Linder signed away the rights to his song for less than $2 and died impoverished.
09:31And 80 years later, poverty remains the central theme of this uniquely South African music.
09:38The Lion Sleeps Tonight
10:14CHOIR SINGS
10:25What an amazing night.
10:27It was just so exhilarating.
10:30I mean, it's virtually 5 o'clock and I could listen to all that again.
10:34And there's something about people coming together and raising their voices in harmony that is so uplifting.
10:44But the things that these people were singing about were really, really devastating and dark.
10:51So it was thrilling, but it was chilling.
11:04CHOIR SINGS
11:05I shouldn't be surprised by the harrowing lyrics of Isekata Miya, given the oppressive colonial history of South Africa.
11:14CHOIR SINGS
11:14But the arrival of Christian missionaries did bring a standardised European form to ancient vocal traditions.
11:23CHOIR SINGS
11:24Churches in Africa are teeming with people, filled to the rafters, singing, and it's mainly gospel singing.
11:31CHOIR SINGS
11:32And I'm here to see the Durban Gospel Choir.
11:36CHOIR SINGS
11:39American spiritual and minstrel shows influenced South African musicians.
11:44CHOIR SINGS
11:45But long before that, white settlers brought Christian hymns sung in four-part harmony.
11:55CHOIR SINGS
11:59The sound is unmistakably South African, but the polyphonic harmonies and the building they
12:06are sung in have European origins. What a magnificent combination.
12:17CHOIR SINGS
12:26You know, when you put on alto or soprano together and tenor and put on the bass, there's this
12:31harmony that is so beautiful.
12:33CHOIR SINGS
12:34There's something about harmony that just makes you connect and makes you step over into another space.
12:49CHOIR SINGS
12:50The gospel is so big here. I mean, why is that?
12:54CHOIR SINGS
12:55A song can touch people in a way that words can't. And the spirit is right and the heart is
12:59right.
12:59It's what renders people, makes people just weep inexplicably.
13:03CHOIR SINGS
13:03There must be some kind of chemical effect because, you know, when they started singing, it was really, really nice.
13:08CHOIR SINGS
13:08And then that harmony kicked in after a few bars.
13:13CHOIR SINGS
13:14It just gets you.
13:32CHOIR SINGS
13:41CHOIR SINGS
13:43CHOIR SINGS
13:43CHOIR SINGS
14:16CHOIR SINGS
14:16CHOIR SINGS
14:20CHOIR SINGS
14:21CHOIR SINGS
14:22CHOIR SINGS
14:38CHOIR SINGS
14:38So, you get a day off and what do you do? You hook up with mates and get down to
14:45it.
14:51these young zulu men are practicing a tradition called ngoma
14:55a style of competitive display danced by men who are far away from their families
15:13oh that's just brilliant
15:15oh the bottom of your feet must be killing you
15:18oh jeez
15:20oh i can't do it
15:22can i dance with you
15:24no
15:25this is the only bit i can do right
15:29like the mine workers before them they're using their voices to express their unity during hard times
15:42you're all so young
15:44and i was just so surprised to see the vigor and the passion for the dance and the singing
15:59so you use this to keep people off the streets off of drugs and drink
16:05you know imagine driving down the road and i'm seeing it in front of my eyes you know
16:21i don't know it was primal it was people getting together to make a joyful noise and raise their
16:30spirits and keep themselves going and yeah tonight when i go to sleep i'm gonna be hearing those voices
16:46music has always been a way for south africans to bind their communities together
16:54and with the introduction of racist apartheid laws in 1948 the power of the collective voice became central in the
17:03struggle for freedom
17:09so
17:10from the late 1950s black south africans were forcibly removed from their homes and rehoused in townships like soweto
17:18on the outskirts of johannesburg
17:25soweto became the home of the resistance against apartheid as well as the musical hub of the whole country
17:37i'm standing in front of mandela house in soweto and it's a museum i mean it's a great thing to
17:44do
17:44because it's bringing people to soweto and as you can see there's market stalls there's people
17:49busking singing the ice cream sellers even on in on it you know with his with his songs
17:56ice cream chocolate ice cream chocolate ice cream chocolate ice cream chocolate it's great
18:04ice cream chocolate ice cream chocolate but things were very different back in 1976
18:14when soweto and surrounding townships were torn apart by riots hundreds of students were killed
18:22one of south africa's most legendary musicians super hot sticks mabusei witnessed it all
18:29and it's really hard for him to return
18:32i actually never like coming here
18:35i can feel it
18:38i can feel it
18:39i really never like coming here
18:47take a minute take a second
18:50you know the reason i come perhaps is because we we made our music our first performance was in this
18:56place
18:57but whatever could have happened at that time is probably a reason that we became what you know
19:04creating the kind of music that we created which was struggle music
19:09yeah but because of this titanic struggle you were sending out messages with your music and you had to
19:15look at how you sent out the messages and i'm wondering about one of the songs that you
19:21you perform one of the songs that you wrote that i still play to this day
19:26you
19:27you
19:27you
19:33yes jive sweater
19:38you
19:39you
19:39you
19:40you
19:40you
19:41you
19:43you
19:44you
19:44you
19:45you
19:45you
19:46you
19:46you
19:47you
20:01you
20:02My Soweto became a worldwide hit in the 80s as the authentic voice and music of the townships
20:08spread across the world.
20:10But behind the happy sound was a serious purpose.
20:33What did it feel like when you realised that that song that you wrote for the township
20:38was resonating with dancers and audiences all around the world
20:44and wanting Black South Africa to succeed and to get democracy?
20:51It's for some reason it's a song that always makes people happy.
20:57But it also gives an identity of who we are and where we come from.
21:35The apartheid government tried to stop the spread of this vibrant music with a message
21:41by introducing a strict censorship regime.
21:44Thanks Emma.
21:48So Michael, all countries have censorship, but what was the South African censorship like for music?
21:54The main censorship that affected people's listening in South Africa
21:59was through the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC.
22:02Thousands of songs were not played on radio and people didn't get to hear them.
22:06Sippo Mabuse's albums were no exception.
22:10How did they practically make sure that these records didn't get played?
22:15They had a weekly list that got sent out saying the following things can't be played.
22:20They would actually scratch the record itself with a sharp object.
22:25This is Sippo's album, Chant of the Marching, vandalised by the state.
22:39For any music lover, this is sacrilege.
22:44That's the kind of thing which they would do with some of the records and particularly one by Sippo Mabuse.
22:51Even the most famous South African singer of all time, Miriam Makeba, was not beyond the law.
22:59This album, African Convention by Miriam Makeba, is undesirable within the meaning of section blah blah blah.
23:06The committee which examined the publication also prohibited its possession,
23:10so it was illegal to own a copy of African Convention.
23:14On what grounds?
23:15On political grounds.
23:16Strictly political.
23:17Yeah.
23:18That is ridiculous.
23:19Yeah.
23:27Miriam Makeba, Mama Africa, was the continent's first international star,
23:34recording the first African song to reach the top 20 in America with Pata Pata in 1967.
23:46She was also a committed activist, living in exile all over the world,
23:51and using her international profile to bring attention to the injustices of apartheid.
23:57Wonderful.
23:58Miriam Makeba.
24:10Miriam Makeba died in 2008, but her legacy, singing with the distinctive click of the Tulsa language,
24:19lives on through one of the most loved modern South African artists.
24:25Miriam Makeba.
24:26Miriam Makeba.
24:27Miriam Makeba.
24:28Miriam Makeba.
24:30Miriam Makeba.
24:31I'm going to see Tandisba Mazway and she's a huge South African star.
24:36I first heard of her when she was in a band called Bongo Maffin, and Bongo Maffin were the pioneers
24:43of quite a music and that's the music of the youth post-apartheid so that was
24:50back in the 90s and I've watched her career blossom ever since
25:01welcome to my humble abode look at that yes the grand the grand day I'd love to
25:09hear it well my machine is actually not working so it's good that you brought your own I brought
25:15mine you know don't go too far without it yeah everything is acapella her mother was a
25:21traditional healer and these are the songs that her mother taught her so that's why it's called
25:37yeah I mean it's all about those harmonies right it's all about that call and response that's
25:42very South African and that three-part four-part harmony yeah these harmonies bridge the old and
25:53the new of South African music but it's through the tradition of jazz that Tandizwa pays homage to
26:00her predecessors vocal upper touch in drum mix please influenced by America South African jazz
26:08has long been a voice of protest and with her latest album belede Tandizwa channels this with
26:14tracks including Malaika by none other than Miriam Makeba
26:45her inspired merging of traditional vocal styles
26:49contemporary musical arrangements has made Tandizwa one of South Africa's most exciting stars
26:55and she enjoys the freedom that Miriam Makeba strived for
27:28as she became a major celebrity in the 90s Tandizwa made friends in high places look at that that is
27:38amazing you in Madiba and
27:40Michael Jackson I know this is just one of those experiences that I had that is completely unforgettable how did
27:51you feel when he was released from prison it was almost an unimaginable event and I remember we ran around
28:01the school about a hundred times just screaming and running around and running around oh you know and
28:10and suddenly in that moment I felt oh so this is my country wow
28:28Tandizwa and Bongo Maffin were pioneers of a new sound quater the voice of the young in a democratic post
28:37-apartheid South Africa
28:45it's a cocktail of western beats with distinctly South African grooves and vocals
28:58so we were around 17 18 19 at the time and we were desperate to go out and party and
29:07you know I was like getting
29:09exposed exposed to like black gay people for the first time being exposed to white young white kids for the
29:18first time so it was really a time where everything managed to clash into each other and everyone was still
29:25very excited to get to know one another
29:28but was there a message was political I think it was always political but it was kind of playful because
29:37we were young but also speaking to culture and tradition and language and the importance of capturing that essence for
29:46a young audience
29:52but even quite oh is rooted in the traditional a young Tandizwa was keen to learn about her indigenous musical
29:59heritage and only one legendary teacher was needed
30:03Kosa elder Madocini
30:08I'm here on a housing estate in Langa township I've come to see Madocini who's a traditional storyteller she's a
30:17multi-instrumentalist and she embodies the whole Kosa culture
30:46this might sound a million miles from Kwaito but the tone and language used by Tandizwa
30:52are direct links to this music
31:21Madosimi is a singer of traditional south
31:24African songs, but if you close your eyes, you can almost hear the raw blues of American
31:30singers like Bessie Smith.
31:43Storytelling and song are central to the Xhosa way of life.
31:47The Mbongi, or Prey singer, is a key figure in indigenous communities.
32:18You were so happy when you finished that song.
32:20You were laughing and talking.
32:22What were you saying?
32:44When did you start learning these songs?
32:48The Madosimi holds a special place in South African culture.
33:09Fewer and fewer musicians know how to play indigenous instruments like Yuhadi bow with calabash.
33:25She's able to stretch her vocal range from high octave yelps down to guttural bass throat singing,
33:32known as In Kokkolo.
33:48Are the young Xhosa musicians still interested in the stories and in the songs?
33:54And they're calling.
33:56About 35 years from the 30 years.
33:58They were following the program in Indianapolis.
34:01They were colorful.
34:06They were very important to understand how to build a job for following the Juhanias.
34:10They were rich, they were rich, they were rich, they were rich, they were rich.
34:16And you were rich, they were better than you were rich.
34:18And all of them are rich.
34:19There weren't any other questions in this country, but they were rich.
34:21But they were rich.
34:21I don't think that they were rich, they were rich, they were rich, they were rich.
34:25there's a freshness in the air in Johannesburg the children born into a
34:29free South Africa are blending together the traditions of the past with a new
34:34vibrancy creating a surge of hope and creativity
34:45many of the no-go zones of the apartheid years have evolved into creative hubs
34:50of young diverse african artists and musicians
34:59I want to find out how these new South African voices are still grappling with
35:04their identities by talking to Xhosa hip-hop artist Kani Mavi
35:11oh good to see I am loving that lipstick I've got some let's put it on
35:23perfect yeah yeah does that work
35:27love it love it I've been loving your videos on YouTube thank you so much thank you so much
35:52this is Xhosa music for a modern urbanized South Africa
36:04listen what is this about it looks so lush I love the moody soundtrack this is a song about a
36:13woman who's a queen pin
36:15what's a queen pin basically a woman who is a big drug lord oh okay in the hood all right
36:22and they look so glad
36:23and they look great you know looks like easy street you understand but at the same time they are the
36:28same people who are killing the kids
36:29a lot of your work is about social commentary what else do you wrap about
36:33I do concentrate mainly on you know social issues you know whether it be father-child relationships whether it be
36:42sexuality what whatever thing that I feel is important at that time
36:47I just want to know how you get your message across because usually when you hear people rapping
36:52it's in English but you rap in Xhosa I can't do the click you can you just need a little
36:58practice
36:58go on there we go
37:01Xhosa
37:03okay but you rap in Xhosa
37:05because it's it's my language it's it's such a beautiful language it's so rich why should I rap in English
37:15why should I do it when I can do it in my own language what's wrong with my language it's
37:20ancient
37:21it's got depths that I haven't even reached yet
37:25Kenny's sending a message to other Xhosa speakers but for the rest of us the lyrics are all about
37:31achieving your potential
37:32yes
37:34it's
37:39it's
38:00it's
38:03What is it about hip-hop and rap that has captured, you know, not just South Africa,
38:10all over the African continent, you know, everyone's embracing.
38:13As Africans, we, for instance, our cultures are told, you know, they're not written, they're
38:19not in books, it's poetry, it's praise poetry, it's the way we sing, we tell stories.
38:27.
38:41Kenya, you're part of the post-apartheid generation. The struggle's been won.
38:47Does that mean that now you're free, there's nothing else for your generation to be singing
38:54about or protesting about?
38:57No, not at all. The struggle has not been won, you know. It's just we've got political freedom.
39:04In other words, we can vote, we can move around, we can go to the same schools. We still need,
39:09you know, economic freedom for our people. People still need to be free in the mind too.
39:16What part does music have to play in this?
39:19Then that's the huge part. Art has a huge part to play for generations.
39:24Our people have taught each other about themselves through art.
39:40The people of Johannesburg, especially the young people, just seem really confident and full of life.
39:47They seem to know themselves and it's great seeing the way they're looking forward, making things happen.
40:05South Africa has a population of more than 55 million people.
40:10Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans are the most widely spoken languages.
40:15But there are a wealth of smaller cultural groups too, like the Shangai.
40:25And like all the ethnic groups, they are defined in part by their musical voice.
40:30A star one man is working hard to keep up to date with extraordinary results.
40:41Richard Mthetwa, aka Nusinja, is taking the music of the Shangai to the wider world.
40:48So Nusinja, tell me what you're doing with the music of the Shangai.
40:53Actually, I'm the pioneer and I'm the producer and I'm the composer of the Shangai music.
41:03So it's your vision?
41:04It's my vision. Actually, I mix the old and the new, combine them together, add some spice with the speed
41:12and then make it some electro.
41:20And this is the extraordinary result. Shangani lecture.
41:26Traditional dance moves and vocal stylings catapulted into the 21st century.
41:33The traditional tempo was 135.
41:37Yes.
41:38Now let's go to 165.
41:40So the 165, it will change.
41:43You can listen.
41:49But this is not for dance.
41:51So now let's go for dance.
41:57Listen.
42:00And so now you're in the zone for dancing.
42:02Start.
42:03This is a starter for football.
42:05Oh my goodness.
42:05So then now, let's try 185.
42:13When we are doing our shows, when we dance, we are on 189.
42:19Yes.
42:20What?
42:21This is where we can show you who we are.
42:40Take a leg.
42:42Take a leg.
42:43Take a leg.
42:44Take a leg.
42:46I will take you to the dance.
42:48That's when you will see how happy we are.
42:51Take a leg.
42:52Take a leg.
42:53Take a leg.
42:54Take a leg.
42:54We will showcase our culture.
42:55We showcase our tradition. We showcase our proudness.
42:59When we go on stage, we forget about our problems.
43:02We forget about our husband. Forget about the money.
43:04Forget about politics. Everything can become natural to us.
43:08It's come to the stage. We'll show you who we are.
43:12Shanga.
43:24Nozindja and his Shangan electro music has been proudly embraced by the community.
43:30People of all ages shaking out to the increasing tempo of the beat.
43:51And as the sun starts to set and I slip away from the dance,
43:55it strikes me again just how sensual music is
43:59to the everyday identity of South Africans, here and abroad.
44:15And one group have done more than most to export the South African spirit to the world.
44:21The Mahatala Queens.
44:24Look at that cover. Freedom Fire.
44:28The indestructible beat of Soweto and the energy coming off of it.
44:32I mean, you know it's going to be a really good record, don't you?
44:35And look at the back. You can see how many tracks I played in.
44:39I read this album. I played it so many times.
44:48In 1988, the Mahatala Queens with their late frontman, Mathatini,
44:53played Wembley Stadium alongside Stevie Wonder and George Michael.
44:58And in 1991, half a million people danced to their music in Central Park, New York.
45:05They want to show me their favourite view of Soweto,
45:08where their amazing voices and records came from.
45:16Hilda, I've been playing the Mahatala Queens for so long,
45:20but this is a chance for me to find out how you got your start in music.
45:24This group originally, it's a band of seven members.
45:29Mm-hm.
45:29They are no longer playing with us.
45:31Yes. So...
45:32But you're still doing it.
45:33I'm still doing it.
45:34You're still singing.
45:35Yes. Still singing.
45:37Yeah.
45:39Out of the original 1964 line-up, only one member currently remains.
45:44Hilda Tullbacker, now a sprightly 75 years young.
45:49It's the harmonies.
45:51The harmonies just cut straight through me.
45:55And I've always wanted to know what it is about South African harmonies that are so...
46:00It, you know, makes you...
46:02It just brings out all the emotions, whether it uplifts you or dashes you to the ground.
46:08Let me just make an example.
46:10For instance...
46:10Yeah.
46:11Yeah.
46:12Mi, mi, mi, mi, fa, fa, mi, do.
46:16Mi, mi, mi, fa, fa, mi, do.
46:19Mi, mi, mi, mi, fi, fa, fa, mi, do.
46:22Sam, come.
46:23Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, so.
46:27You're not singing correctly.
46:28If you don't sing correctly, I'll take you out of this group.
46:31Mi, mi, mi, mi, mi, fa, fa, mi, do.
46:33Three, four.
46:34Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, so.
46:39This is how we do our song.
46:41Im nadi i'chai笑 mo tela.
46:43As siigi niezi. As siigi niezi. As siigi niezi yo yo.
46:47Pam, pam, baram. È ch mountains mirada. Mm, bam, baram.
46:51Mah покуп.
46:51Im nadi i'chai Jamaica mo tela. As siigi niezi y buoya.
46:57Pam, pam, baram. Eu chuve motela. Pam, bum, baram.
47:01Pam, bam. A sweeping isi.
47:03I yo-yo chi golf motela.
47:05Ye la la la la yangse richtig, leci paya.
47:32Oh fantastic let me show you
47:36something hang on yes we have a team lead this is our first I don't even have
47:43this other hi well now really I'm generally for me I can even take it
47:49instead of signing it I'm afraid I can't give it
48:06meeting the Queens takes me back to playing their records at anti-apartheid events looking
48:12down at thriving Soweto I'm reminded that South Africa has now emerged from its darkest chapter
48:29Cape Town is on the very tip of the continent
48:40and it's home to the infamous jail where apartheid's political prisoners including
48:46Nelson Mandela we're locked up Robben Island
49:03today I'm meeting struggle hero Dennis Goldberg a Jewish South African for him the power of the
49:11voice is especially point arrested by the state and put on trial for treason and sabotage alongside
49:29Mandela Dennis was jailed for 22 years our guys on death row they would sing most nights we had
49:45eight or nine comrades on death row and they would sing in the most beautiful harmonies our freedom
49:52songs I had a recorder sounds like a penny whistle and so I learned to play the melodies and so
50:01I would
50:02play the melodies and they would sing that was our communication these are guys going to hang yeah they
50:09knew what they were there for such courage you asked what it did for me brings tears to my eyes
50:15now
50:23oh
50:27oh
50:28oh
50:29oh
50:29oh
50:29oh
50:45and they had us almost literally under the gallows every week people were being hanged
50:52the sheriff would come and say to the prisoner or the prisoners tomorrow morning's your time
50:58and prisoners would start singing three thousand people would join in singing hymns until it's
51:05continuous through the night and why did they do that to comfort the people who are going to die
51:13but at first thing in the morning i think at six o'clock we would hear the fall of the
51:20trapdoors
51:20because we were so near and the whole prison would just stop as though a switch had been thrown
51:27no more singing just cut off it was a remarkable experience and with all that you went through
51:37all that you've seen and unfortunately so many of your comrades well let me say it for you 137 of
51:50my
51:50comrades were hanged over a thousand were murdered by security torturers and killers out of hand tens
52:00of thousands of years of imprisonment and in the end after nelson mandela was released four years of
52:09negotiations but transfer of power the apartheid state killed between 10 and 12 000 people trying
52:19to retain control it's a brutal system and so we have our new democratic south africa it was worse
52:30everything we did was worse
52:49decades and decades they fought and it was the experience he had in prison and how song and the power
52:58of the voice somehow was their blanket to me it's a revelation how singing together in harmony has the
53:17ability to help people endure even the most terrible situations and i suppose maybe that's what's so
53:29devastatingly beautiful about being here and witnessing
53:35ah the aftershock of what they've been through
53:55the dream of democracy that denis fought for became a reality in 1994 when nelson mandela was sworn in as
54:03president president here in pretoria and one very special singer was there to mark the occasion i'm on
54:13my way to meet if i can get through this traffic fusi maha sailor he's one of south africa's greatest
54:20voices
54:20and he's been living here since boyhood
54:24this is the unknown grave
54:33the one who died maintaining his mind
54:41his will have been so strong and musically inclined
54:47he's his sad melodies coming out like a smoke from the woody fire
55:04who died this morning and why
55:08for me music was much more of the vehicle that i would use or a tool and i used to
55:13sort of like really give hope to a people not to despair
55:20to do this he's passing down african wisdom through song at his academy
55:31our motto for the foundation in the school is africa teach your children ancient songs
55:37so that they should glorify the spirit of collective good the spirit of collective good being ubuntu
55:50which translates as humanity to others is a southern african philosophy that teaches the need for understanding not vengeance
56:00ubuntu it is a way of life which is more about everybody's kindness love helpfulness
56:07the success that you have in your country is measured by whom you include not exclude
56:16yeah amen to that thank you very please amen to that
56:24buzi's song when you come back written about political exiles sums it all up for me
56:30sing now africa sing loud sing to the people
56:41let them give something to the world
56:47and not just take you from it
57:00and it's buzi's hope that the legacy of the african songbook will now pass on to the next generation
57:08of the african music will turn into the music of the people
57:15yes people's music other people's culture and i'll be the one who will climb up with the mountain
57:22traveling around in south africa i've heard so much music some of it has been stunningly brilliant
57:29some of it has made me laugh some of it has just stripped me to my essence and made me
57:38cry
57:44for so long i mean through the dark days of apartheid that was what they had their voice individually and
57:53collectively to soothe themselves to inspire themselves to communicate and it was this voice that led them to freedom
58:06and now the post-apartheid youth are seizing the baton using their remarkable voices to build a vibrant
58:14and inclusive south africa
58:34um
58:38or
58:40oh
58:43I'll see you next time.
Comments