Problem
The link between revolution and music has always existed. Already Plato, in The Republic, saw music as capable of exalting virtue and courage. Thus, revolutions, wars, or even authoritarian regimes are all marked using music to exalt the troops and instill courage even in the absence of hope. Some revolutionary songs later became anthems, such as La Marseillaise in France or International for the USSR. Music has crossed the ages and is more current than ever. The most emblematic example today is certainly Bella Ciao, a song by the resistance fighters against the Italian fascist movement of the Second World War, brought up to date by the Netflix series La Casa of Papel. Even today, music is very often used in demonstrations, and more generally to support social demands such as in anti-capitalist, alter-globalist currents or to defend civil rights. Decades go by without coming together, but the impact of music on the liberation of people is very real.
In South Africa, apartheid had an impact on every aspect of South African culture, and music was a popular initiative and response against the political oppression of the time. As a result, apartheid influenced the themes, rhythms, and musical genres of African music created during this time, leaving in its wake a group of artists who created some deeply moving and potent music that served to both unite black Africans and inform the rest of the world about the dire political conditions. The apartheid Regime in South Africa did in fact start in 1948 and run until 1994. It involved a system of institutionalized racism, and white supremacy, and gave a minority the sole control of politics. white. Boycotts, nonviolent protests, and armed resistance were just a few of the ways that people expressed their opposition to apartheid. Both the South African apartheid movement and the global campaign against apartheid benefited greatly from music. Anti-apartheid songs had positive effects on society by increasing knowledge, fostering solidarity within the anti-apartheid movement, and "offering an alternative picture of culture in a future Democratic South Africa." This music's lyrical themes and timbre capture the mood in which it was written.
A short time after apartheid was established in the 1950s, protest music addressed people's complaints about legislation and forced relocation. Songs became more dismal after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 and the arrest or exile of several leaders while tightening censorship compelled them to adopt subliminal, hidden messages. The songs and performances also gave people a way to get around more stringent limitations on other kinds of expression. Consequently, songs contributed to the 1960s-era militant resistance. Songs like "Soweto Blues" and other protest songs inspired a more direct confrontation with the apartheid authorities after the Soweto Uprising of 1976.
These men and women have made a significant contribution to the liberation of humanity from the apartheid system, which the United Nations deemed a crime against humanity in 1973. Through their voices, they have paved the difficult and arduous path to freedom in South Africa and the rest of the world.