In this essay, I will be discussing how I side with those that believe the music in the film would not have been produced if the apartheid had not have happened. The main issues that I will discuss is this essay is the reasoning that brought me to my position on this issue. I will also explain the apartheid system, give examples of the resistance movement, examine similarities to other protests music, and summarize the key points of the documentary. The apartheid was formed in 1948 when the National Party established segregation laws in South Africa. During my viewing of the film, I noted the following items on the apartheid. The apartheid made the African people alienated, they even had to leave their homes and were forced to separate …show more content…
In the movie, music is present throughout the whole struggle of the apartheid. In one song, I noticed a concept we discussed at length in class, both in lecture and discussion. This concept is timbre, it is defined as the distinct way an instrument or voice sounds. The man had a distinct voice that when he sung it was more like he was talking and speaking his message which was freedom or death. Throughout the documentary the sense of unity of the people and community is one of the clearest points of significance. All the South African people sang together in unity, not only to show resistance to the apartheid throughout protests but also to show strength as a group. In another scene, we see a family singing to a rhythm and stomping to the bass line, while a man talks over them. N Kosi is the people’s anthem, God Bless Africa, it was beautiful to watch them all sing this song together, This song is a prayer song and rather not revolutionary. When typing this I went back through my notes and found that I and written Serefina=the lords prayer song. When googling this, I came upon a video called Serfina, the motion picture featuring Whoopi Goldberg. I recall watching a part of this in class, which brings me to another point, that with research on such a topic as the apartheid we can connect this documentary to our class in many ways. These freedom songs, shown in the film invoke a sense of pride in the people. During such
When looking at the racial system of apartheid in South Africa, the question of music must be discussed. The central debate among musicologists and ethnomusicologists is whether the music from black south Africans during this time was a result of the resistance movement against apartheid. The other side of the argument is that the music of this time and place catalyzed the movement itself and without an outlet like music the resistance would not have occurred. I believe that the music is a representation of what people experience and gives voice to how people feel already. Music is a product of society and shows the heart and direction of a group of people. In this essay, I will examine what the background of apartheid and the significant
To understand how South Africa changed, one must know the history of Apartheid and the effects it had on the country. Apartheid was a form segregation enforced by law in South Africa. The system was in effect from 1948 to 1993. During this time the majority black and other non-white population was unfairly discriminated against.
The apartheid of South Africa was a period of perpetual distress and nameless and tried faith in the general public who it unremittingly impacted.
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it” (Bertold Brecht in Askew 2003: 633). Despite evolution across the globe and the continued development of societies and cultures, one entity has remained present throughout – music. Though manifested in various forms, music has and continues to play an integral role in a multitude of settings, ranging from religious ceremonies to theater to pop culture and beyond. With universal influence, music possesses the ability to unite a nation behind a single cause yet simultaneously subjugate a people through musical propaganda and censorship. For instance, due to a lack of literacy and economic means in countries such as South Africa (plagued by apartheid sanctions), oral communication through music increases the accessibility of critical ideas. Nonetheless, though musical artists have the capacity to assert politically subversive statements through song, vehement government censorship and even propaganda reflect music’s immense influence. Thus, a vessel through which sound is transformed to expression, music has tremendous political ramifications. Exploring the transformation of South-African music from “a mirror” of the apartheid struggles to a “hammer with which to shape”
Apartheid really began in 1652 when the British colonized South Africa; Slavery and Forced Labor Model were the main focus in South Africa which had come earlier from the Dutch (Colonial Expansion in South Africa). The colonization which brought whites to South Africa was the building block to segregation even though slavery had ended. Apartheid was a repressive policy from 1948 to 1994 by the National Party to make the whites population dominate the region (Apartheid 1948-1994). Consequently, this lead to the passing of various laws rooted in racism.
Apartheid is “a former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa” (Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, n.d.). When you hear the word apartheid, you automatically think of Nelson Mandela, the most influential man in the fight for human rights for black South Africans. Mr. Mandela was a Visionary and Ethical Leader. His actions, decisions and behaviors lead to the end of apartheid and the creation of a democratic government in South Africa.
During the 18th Century, Dutch settlers came to live in South Africa. Their descendants called the Boers identified themselves as Africans and fought against the British who tried to colonize South Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. After living there for so long, they created a stable economic system and government, in which white Africans were to top 1% and the black Africans, who made up the majority of the population, were much poorer. In 1948, the National Party instated something called Apartheid. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation, in which black Africans’ rights were controlled by the Boers. In
The apartheid in South Africa was a period of time in which segregation between whites and blacks was enforced, often leading to evictions of their homes. The apartheid metaphor is extensively obvious within the movie because of the relationship between the humans and aliens, is essentially the
But as Nelson fought for having a rainbow nation through the rugby, colour people started to change their minds and support their country as they didnt do before. They lea rned to play the sport; they waved the Spring Boks flag and the South African one and also shared the passion for the game with all the African population.
A call-and-response in music occurs when there is an exchange between an individual’s vocal and a group response. These are also common in many regions of Africa. This technique is demonstrated in the song, “Watch Out Verwoerd,” where the line or segment “Watch out Verwoerd” is repeated several times. Then, there is a call-and-response section of the song. The song and dance music of Toyi-Toyi also has repeating parts, and the National Anthem has short, repeated segments. Most of the songs that were sang in the film were sang a cappella and had simple melodies. Another common characteristic of Sub-Saharan music is the clicking noise made. This characteristic is displayed in a song from the film. The lyrics are as follows: “Our leaders are in jail. They are all together at Nonqonqo prison. Here is Mandela” (Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony). When the woman sings the “Nonqonqo” part, she clicks on the “q” consonants. This is a common characteristic of Sub-Saharan music.
Apartheid were the laws passed in South Africa that separated whites and blacks and gave whites more control, while robbing blacks of their rights. Apartheid took place from 1948- 1990, and has been one of the most harsh and systematic violations of human rights. Unfair living conditions, tragic events, and courageous people contributed to the end of apartheid in South Africa.
The apartheid began in the year 1948. The reasoning behind the Apartheid is so that the government could cement their leadership. Black South Africans were affected by the Apartheid. Life for Black South Africans was very difficult. Blacks were treated like property. They were forced to live in a certain place. They did not have the right to vote or travel freely. Races such as “black” and “white” are not allowed to marry, even if they wanted to.
Apartheid was the laws passed in South Africa that separated whites and blacks and gave whites more supremacy while stripping blacks of their rights. This affected many people in this country because they could not afford food and water, and the whites could have a surplus of supplies. The reason they implemented this rule was to make the whites superior, that is why the whites added it. Unfair living conditions, terrible events, and inspiring people contributed to the end of Apartheid in South Africa.
Apartheid, means the state of being apart, was legislated by National Party (NP) government after their power gets strong in 1948. Apartheid is a system of racial separation to all non- white people that their acts were controlled by this system. By this system all non-white people, who are blacks, Asians and colored, had to live away from whites, use separated public facilities, and contact between them were limited (“Apartheid”). Even though, the white people are minority in South Africa, they got the powerful power, and controlled everything like a lot of white people used to colonize other countries.
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, apartheid is “racial segregation; specifically: a former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa.” Apartheid was first introduced in 1948 after the National Party controlled most of the government. This system of segregation prevented the majority, Africans, from having the same rights and privileges as the minority, whites. Once this system was put in place, Mandela concentrated all of his efforts on eradicating apartheid, hence the participation in the ANC and the creation of the Spear of the Nation branch. Although unthinkable and atrocious, the implementation of apartheid allowed Mandela’s name to be known. Without it, he wouldn’t be the hero he is today.