The Joy Official Music, Jun
16, 2020
A tribute to the 16 June 1976 Soweto Uprising, which is now referred to as the Youth Day. We would also like to pay tribute to all the women and children we have lost over Gender Based Violence. As they song says, "Senzeni na - what have we done?" what have they done to deserve such cruelty. #YouthDay2020 #TshegofatsoPule #UyineneMrwetyana #NalediPhangindawo #JusticeForToyini
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents an excerpt of a 2016 Rhodes University dissertation about the significance of struggle songs (protest songs) in South African political and social movements.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and political purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Jiba
Sakhile Xulu for this research and writing and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the group that are featured in this embedded video and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
Click the tags that are found below for more pancocojams post about South African struggle songs.
I was motivated to read about the subject of South African struggle songs by this tweet that I just happened upon:
From https://twitter.com/search?q=%22South+Africa%22
Great Zulu👑
@SuperiorZulu
3:20 PM, April 1, 2022·
Picketing in a hot sun, jumping and singing "senzeni
na" is exactly why 4.6m Whites have absolute control of 90% of South
Africa's Economy where over 70% of people working in the Economy are Blacks.
Blacks in power opt to be victims than using their power to uplift themselves
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DISSERTATION EXCERPT
[This excerpt is given wihout most citations and notes. The fonts that are used in this excerpt are the ones that are found in this dissertatikon,]
From https://www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Department of Music And Musicology
Ethnomusicology
The Significance Of Sturggle Songs In Political And Social Movements:
The Song "Senzeni Na": Role played by this song in the #FeesMustFall and #RapeCulture student movement, at the University Currently Known as Rhodes (UCKAR)
By: Jiba Sakhile Xulu
g13x7869
Supervisor: Ms B. McConnachie
2016
[...]
"Struggle songs: Post-Apartheid
[page 11]
According to (Jolaosho O. , 2015, p. 443) Struggle songs in South Africa played a critical role in mass mobilizations to combat apartheid, so much so that they have continued to flourish post-apartheid. The reason for this is that despite
the country’s transition from apartheid to non-racial democracy, many South African communities are finding that their
struggle for economic and political freedom continues. As South
Africa’s democracy celebrates over 22 years, (Jolaosho T. , 2014)
argues that struggle songs still matter, and the continued
prevalence of these songs recalls the message of a particular civil rights classic: “Freedom is a constant struggle”. (Jolaosho O. ,
2015, p. 443) continues to add that freedom songs constitute legacies from the past, indicate present dynamics and offer future
directives, “struggle songs would never die and would always stay a true part of South Africa’s history” (Jolaosho O. ,
2015, p. 444) . He speaks of the silent protest by the
Johannesburg’s Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) in October 201012
which was inevitably overturned by songs. One of the organizers of
the march, when asked if he thought it was possible to hold a
silent
[page 12]
march in South African, the participant replied “…I don’t think so…” his reasoning was that songs added something to the protest/march and the character (born from the apartheid-era) has been that people sing during a march. According to (Hallward, 2002) South African freedom songs are aesthetic as they constitute a tacit agreement of how collective struggle ought to be conveyed. In support, (Jolaosho O. , 2015, p. 445) speaks of a playful atmosphere of collective performance which provides protesters with a delightful sense of freedom from social norms that is generative of transgressive action. In addition, songs serve as avenues for emotional transmission, poignantly conveying protests’ sentiments, particularly when words fall short. He continues to highlight the importance of struggles songs, that due to their emotional transmissibility, they have been avenues for healing and cleansing for some activities, motivations that ought not be overlooked in liking the political with the aesthetic.
In an interview that (Jolaosho O. , 2015) conducted in 2010 with a male activist in his mid-20s (at that time), who explains his feeling and relation to the freedom songs:
[… when you sing truthfully from the bottom of your
heart, there are spirits within you which nobody else
can relate to in a way but then you can feel yourself
that no, something is inside me, you know…]
[page 13]
The activist supports the view by (Jolaosho O. , 2015, p. 455) that many activists of the apartheid-era, and those of the “new generation” feel the same way and also carry the same sentiments, believing that songs will never die, but continue to develop.
[page 14]
Struggle songs: The history of song – Style
According to (Gray, 2004, p. 85) between 1912 and 1994 struggle songs were used as a strategy to accelerate change in South African society. In understanding these songs (Biko, 1978, pp. 57-60) raises that any suffering that they experienced was made more real by songs and rhythm which lead to a culture of defiance, self-assertion and group pride and solidarity. He notes that this was a culture that emanated from a situation of a common experience of oppression and was also responsible for the restoration of their faith, and also offered them hope in the directions that they took. Miriam Makeba argues that struggle songs were a way in which they communicated. This is due to the fact that the press, television, and the radio were censored, and as musicians they took it upon themselves to write songs that spoke of events…[let something happen, and the following day a song will be written about it…]13
[page 15]
Struggle songs: Songs of the years
1900 to 1994
While understanding the context of the songs we need to examine the lyrics of the songs during this period. (Gray, 2004, pp. 88-99) states that lyrics demonstrate the fact that originally black South Africans courted no political confrontation, during the periods [1900-1950]. This was mainly due to the fact that until 1949 black politicians consisted mainly of the black elite, who were products of English-medium mission schools. 14 (Gray, 2004, p. 89) says the lyrics of the struggle songs spoke of the drama of black life and also allowed for an insight into the experiential world of black South Africans during the period 1900-1950. Although non-confrontational, the lyrics can still be linked to socio-political event of the time. It is noted that during this period, there were also distinctive shifts in political orientation, and in understanding these one needs to examine musical sounds and styles. There are said to be three key styles of struggle songs during the periods 1900-1950 which are known as (1) iMusic15, (2) iRagtime16, and (3) isiZulu17. In years following the 1950s, the liberation struggle intensified and the songs also reflected the intensification. This also meant that assembled political groups were able to educate their member through songs, while using extant melodies with words to suit the situation. Both the lyrics and the sound had meaning for the participating crowds. (Gray, 2004, p. 96) continues to draw us to the understanding that in all the struggle songs, especially those composed after 1950, it is only the indigenous musical elements in them that allow for a real understanding of the people singing the songs. That black South Africans singing struggles songs represented a confluence of different groupings of individuals, all experiencing a sense of solidarity and unity owing to the oppression of the apartheid regime. She also notes 15 Struggle songs in this style were essentially based on the choir music of the mission-educated black elite. iMusic was essentially grounded in European American church music and was the least politically overt musical category.
[cittion notes]
16 Ragtime emerged as a form of music towards the end of the 19th century, and this was one of a number of musical styles which had their roots in this time period. This increasing diversity resulted from the fusion of African and European musical ideas in the Southern States of the U.S. It wasn't so much a deliberate crafting by music scholars, but more the result of experimentation and informal learning by example, often by self-taught musicians who played in streets and bars. This informal folk music became formalised into Ragtime by composers like Harney and Joplin who played the music to large audiences and published it so that its popularity spread across the country.
[page 16]
that ethnicity, class and political affiliations were often transcended as issues of common concern were articulated in
the struggle songs. In the spear of the nation video of 1986,
Thabo Mbeki (who is now the former State president) speaks to the
fact that it does not matter what form the struggle takes, every
culture becomes a very central and very important element in this
act of asserting that we are human, this is when people would sing
at the thought of liberation. In her conclusion (Gray, 2004, p.
99) speaks of how struggle songs should be viewed as a powerful building block to the past, as they echo a collective cry
for discontent by black South Africans during the apartheid-era, they are to be noted as being unique to South Africa’s
history and as valuable educational tools, which allow for a greater understanding of the liberation struggle and traditional
culture.”…
[...]
[page 20]
Struggle songs: Senzeni Na?
What have we done?
Nkoala, S. M. (2013). Songs that shaped the struggle: A rhetorical
analysis of South African struggle songs. African Yearbook of
Rhethoric, 4(1), 51-61.
Senzeni na? |What have we done?
Sono sethu, ubumnyama |Is our sin is that we are black?
Sono sethu yinaniso | Is our sin the truth?
Sibulawayo | We are being killed
Mayibuye I Africa |Return Africa
This song is said to have been sung manily at funerals, protest marches and rallies, with three of the four verses of the songs Senzani na? (what have we done?) being posed as rethorical questions, leading to the conclusion that part of the song’s effectiveness lies in its approach of posing probing questions that are not meant to be answered but rather meant to evoke an internal respone from the subconscious of those being quetioned.The repetitive lyrics, combined with somewhat slow and sombre tune, meant that it was easy for a person to speak to the crowd with the rest hum or continue to sing in the backgroud. I recall that during the #RUReferenceList student movement, when this song was sung during a vigil, prayer and crying
[page 21]
followed as a result of the emotional awakening this songs brings. (Nkoala, 2013, p. 53) atests that a song that was not nearly as militant in content and tune as some of the other songs that were composerd during the later years of the struggle, the performance of this songs can manage to eveko anger and communicate, a sense of frustration at the injustices of the time.
[page 22]
The song and the analysis of the change in the songs
Just after the death of Steven Bantu Biko (Msila V. , 2011, p. 7) speaks of hearing the song:
Amabhulu azizinja
The boers are dogs
Ambulele uSteve Biko
They have killed Steve Biko
Senzeni na? Senzeni na?
What have we done? What have we done?
(Msila V. , 2011, p. 7) describes the setting of the time he saw and heard this songs “when police appeared, they (the people) continued singing with their arms in the air showing that they were not fighting. It was a powerful show of solidarity and the sharing of sadness. The song was giving the singers hope to say, let us not despair. (Masenya, 2008, p. 1) writes about this song in 2008 where she explains that when the Black South African masses sang this songs, which the one she is referring to is different to the one written above, she refers to the following lyric:
Stanza 1
Senzeni na?
(What have we done?) (8x)
Isono sethu ubumnyama
(Our sin is that we are black) (8x)
[page 23]
Stanza 2
Senzeni na?
(What have we done?) (8x)
Isono sethu ubulili bethu besifazane
(our sin is our female sex) (8x)
At this point I would like to draw your attention to the changed
or rather adapted lyrics, which will be evident shortly.
(Masenya, 2008, p. 1) says that the primary threat was the
torture and atrocities which were being perpetrated on the black
bodies, on the account of the colour of their skin, and this need
no further elaboration as during the Apartheid era we know that
black majority was oppressed by white minority on many
different levels and accounts; and black skin colour was the
primary. This explains the lyrics: Isono sethu ubumnyama (our
sings is that we are black) (which they expressed through this
line in this songs), the second line of this particular songs speaks
of the struggle even post-apartheid that women continue to face,
and in this line it is expressed that their (sin is that of their
female sex).
On this note I would like to bring you to the fact that in 2016
April, at Rhodes University, a list of names was published
anonymously on Facebook, this was a list of male students who
were being accused of sexually assaulting female students on the
Rhodes University campus. This was followed by about a week
long protest which saw a number of famous or well know
[page 24]
struggle songs surface. This included the song Senzeni na?
however, one would think that the lyrics would have stay the
same, but the following were used:
Stanza 1
Senzeni na?
(What have we done?) (8x)
Isono sethu bubufazi
(Our sin is being women) (8x)
Stanza 2
Senzeni na?
(What have we done?) (8x)
Isono sethu ubulili bethu besifazane
(our sin is our female sex) (8x)"...
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