"Weeping" is an anti-apartheid protest song written by Dan Heymann in the mid-1980s, and first recorded by Heymann and the South African group Bright Blue in 1987. The song was a pointed response to the 1985 State of Emergency declared by President

P.W. Botha Pieter Willem Botha, (; 12 January 1916 – 31 October 2006), commonly known as P. W. and af, Die Groot Krokodil (The Big Crocodile), was a South African politician. He served as the last prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and ...

, which resulted in "large-scale killings of unarmed and peaceful demonstrators against racial discrimination and segregation in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

." Defiantly, the song incorporated part of the melody to

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" (, ) is a Christian hymn originally composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Xhosa clergyman at a Methodist mission school near Johannesburg. The song became a pan-African liberation song and versions of it were later ad ...

, the anthem of the anti-apartheid

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

. "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" was banned at the time, and inclusion of even the melody violated the law. Today, "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" is part of the

national anthem of South Africa The National Anthem of South Africa was adopted in 1997 and is a hybrid song combining extracts of the 19th century Xhosa hymn " xh, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, label=none" ( en, "God Bless Africa", ) and the Afrikaans song which was used as the ...

. The formerly illegal lyrics—"Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo"—are now often sung when "Weeping" is recorded or performed. In 1999, "Weeping" was voted "All-time favorite South African Song" by the readers of the ''South African Rock Encyclopedia''.THE "SA ROCK DIGEST/AMUZINE" END OF THE CENTURY BIG VOTE
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Covers

Over the years, a wide variety of artists have performed versions of the song. Here is a partial list. * Bright Blue (''Yesterday Night'', 1987) * Qkumba Zoo (''Wake Up & Dream'', 1996) * Soweto String Quartet with guest vocalist

Vusi Mahlasela Vusi Sidney Mahlasela Ka Zwane (born 1965 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a Sotho South African singer-songwriter. His music is generally described as "African folk" and he is often dubbed as "The Voice" of South Africa. His work was an inspi ...

(''Renaissance'', 1996) *

Coenie de Villiers Coenie de Villiers (Coenraad Grabe de Villiers), born 11 October 1956, is a South African singer-songwriter, pianist, pop artist who sings in his mother tongue, Afrikaans. If any comparison was required, Coenie's music is best compared to the p ...

(''Solo'') * Kearsney College Choir (''Road to the Olympics'', 2000) * James Stewart (''Eklektik'', 2002) *

Jinny Sagorin Jinny is a feminine given name which may refer to: * Jinny Beyer (born 1941), American quilt designer and quilter * Jinny Jacinto (born 1976), Canadian contortionist * Jinny or Jinny Lee, a stage name of South Korean pop singer Chae Yeon (born 197 ...

(''It's For You'', 2004) *

Soweto Gospel Choir The Soweto Gospel Choir is a South African gospel group. History The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in Soweto, South Africa, by David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, and producers Andrew Kay, David Vigo and Cliff Hocking in 2002. The more than 30- ...

(''Blessed'', 2004), *

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...

(''

Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being a sleep, in whic ...

'', 2006) ** Featuring the

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of '' isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Graceland'', and have won ...

group *

Louise Carver Louise Carver (June 9, 1869 - June 19, 1956) was an American actress who performed in grand opera, stage, nickelodeon, and motion pictures. Early years and career Born Mary Louise Steiger in Davenport, Iowa, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs ...

(''Home Tour - Live'', 2009) * Drakensberg Boys Choir (''Cantemus - Just Sing'', 2012) * Karen Zoid & Vusi Mahlasela (Live) epubliek Van Zoid Africa: Season 2*

Mango Groove Mango Groove is an 11-piece South African Afropop band whose music fuses pop and township music—especially marabi and kwela. Since their foundation in 1984, the band has released six studio albums and numerous singles. Their most recent a ...

(Faces to the Sun: Memories and Moments, 2016) * Choni G (Single, 2019)

References

{{reflist

External links

Songs against racism and xenophobia Songs about South Africa South African songs Protest songs 1987 songs Year of song missing Anti-apartheid songs 1987 singles

Covers

See also

References

External links