"Soweto Blues" is a protest song written by

Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for ...

and performed by

Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, jazz, a ...

. The song is about the Soweto uprising that occurred in 1976, following the decision by the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

government of South Africa to make

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

a medium of instruction at school. The uprising was forcefully put down by the police, leading to the death of between 176 and 700 people. The song was released in 1977 as part of Masekela's album '' You Told Your Mama Not to Worry''. The song became a staple at Makeba's live concerts, and is considered a notable example of

music in the movement against apartheid The apartheid regime in South Africa began in 1948 and lasted until 1994. It involved a system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy, and placed all political power in the hands of a white minority. Opposition to apart ...

Background

In 1976 the apartheid government of South Africa decided to implement the use of

as the medium of instruction in all schools instead of English. In response, high school students began a series of protests on the morning of 16 June that came to be known as the Soweto Uprising. Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of

Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...

in response to the introduction of

as the medium of instruction in local schools. An estimated 15,000–20,000 students took part in the protests. The police were caught unawares by the protests. After initially asking the students to disperse, the police opened fire on the protesting children in order to quell the protest. The number of people who died is usually given as 176, with estimates of up to 700, while several hundred more were injured. The killings sparked off several months of rioting in the Soweto townships, and the protests became an important moment for the anti-Apartheid movement.

Lyrics and music

The lyrics of "Soweto Blues" refer to the children's protests and the resulting massacre in the 1976 Soweto uprising. A review in the magazine ''

Musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

'' said that the song had "searingly righteous lyrics" that "cut to the bone." "Soweto Blues" was also one of many melancholic songs by Masekela that expressed his commitment to the anti-apartheid struggle, along with "

Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela) "Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela)", also known as "Bring Him Back Home", is an anthemic anti-apartheid protest song written by South African musician Hugh Masekela. It was released as the first track of his 1987 album '' Tomorrow''. It was r ...

," "Been Gone Far Too Long," "Mama," and "The Coal Train." Musically, the song has a background of

Mbaqanga Mbaqanga () is a style of South African music with rural Zulu music, Zulu roots that continues to influence musicians worldwide today. The style originated in the early 1960s. History Historically, laws such as the Natives' Land Act, Land Act ...

guitar,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, and multi-grooved percussion. Makeba uses this as a platform for vocals that are half-sung and half-spoken, similar to

blues music Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

Release & performances

The song was released in 1977 as part of Masekela's album '' You Told Your Mama Not to Worry''. It was also included in Makeba's 1989 album ''

Welela ''Welela'' is an album by the South African musician Miriam Makeba, released in 1989. It was produced primarily by Sipho Mabuse. Critical reception ''The New York Times'' wrote that "Makeba mixes old and new on ''Welela'', using a polished moder ...

''. The song became a standard part of Makeba's live performances for many years after its release. It was also performed by Makeba on the tour for

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

's 1986 album ''

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

'', along with many other anti-apartheid songs. Makeba was unable to perform the song in her native South Africa until after her return to the country in June 1990, only a few months after

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

was released from prison. She was given a strong welcome back to her home country and regained her South African citizenship in 1992, the same year that she starred in the film '' Sarafina!'' about the Soweto uprising.

References

{{Miriam Makeba Hugh Masekela songs Miriam Makeba songs 1976 songs 1976 in South Africa Soweto Anti-apartheid songs Culture of Johannesburg Songs about South Africa Songs about cities