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talkpolitics"You can take everything away from us, but you cannot stop us from dancing"
Traditional music, particularly protest songs have been an inherent part of the South African culture since time immemorial. In the apartheid era, the protest dance called "toyi-toyi" was the primary means of expression of the oppressed masses. It originates from Zimbabwe and was soon adopted by the black majority in South Africa, who were living in miserable conditions, without political rights, and were treated as semi-slaves.
The toyi-toyi dance has endured ever since, even in post-apartheid times. Today, when our government gives generous promises, like providing permanent home to people and reducing poverty and crime, and then fails to deliver on that promise while still not missing to fill its pockets, people seek for outlets of their frustration. But they do not have money to make their voices heard in politics, and neither can they grab the guns and take to the streets. So, instead, how do they make themselves heard?
Toyi-toyi is their way of screaming: "I am here! Listen to me!" The clenched fist has been the symbol of the "Struggle" in apartheid times, and it is now, too. People shout "Amandla! Awethu!" (Power to the People) and take to the streets. This has a powerful effect, and has often brought the rulers to their heels, and forced them to listen and eventually start negotiations and seek compromises, and make concessions, or just outright submit to the will of the people. Those same people who have presumably put them in position of power, in the first place.
Soweto, the huge township in the south-western outskirts of Johannesburg (whence the name) became the center point of all this. One could still see a toyi-toyi there quite frequently, and it's a real wonder to watch. Hordes of people charge forwards, seemingly disorganized but in fact they very much act as one. The place is brimming with energy. It is intense. The riot police who are deployed to contain these marches are helpless to do anything, in the face of all these chanting people running at them. They do not throw stones or Molotov cocktails. They do not smash cars and shop windows (for the most part). They only chant their traditional struggle songs, clench their fists, and march on. The unarmed mob instills fear in the heart of the oppressors by just doing their toyi-toyi dance. And their songs with their explicit lyrics, some of them really really explicit.
There was a very interesting 2002 documentary called "Amandla! A Revolution In Four Part Harmony" on the subject, I warmly recommend it. The soundtrack also features some of the most marvelous traditional South African pieces of music one could ever find.
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Traditional music, particularly protest songs have been an inherent part of the South African culture since time immemorial. In the apartheid era, the protest dance called "toyi-toyi" was the primary means of expression of the oppressed masses. It originates from Zimbabwe and was soon adopted by the black majority in South Africa, who were living in miserable conditions, without political rights, and were treated as semi-slaves.
The toyi-toyi dance has endured ever since, even in post-apartheid times. Today, when our government gives generous promises, like providing permanent home to people and reducing poverty and crime, and then fails to deliver on that promise while still not missing to fill its pockets, people seek for outlets of their frustration. But they do not have money to make their voices heard in politics, and neither can they grab the guns and take to the streets. So, instead, how do they make themselves heard?
Toyi-toyi is their way of screaming: "I am here! Listen to me!" The clenched fist has been the symbol of the "Struggle" in apartheid times, and it is now, too. People shout "Amandla! Awethu!" (Power to the People) and take to the streets. This has a powerful effect, and has often brought the rulers to their heels, and forced them to listen and eventually start negotiations and seek compromises, and make concessions, or just outright submit to the will of the people. Those same people who have presumably put them in position of power, in the first place.
Soweto, the huge township in the south-western outskirts of Johannesburg (whence the name) became the center point of all this. One could still see a toyi-toyi there quite frequently, and it's a real wonder to watch. Hordes of people charge forwards, seemingly disorganized but in fact they very much act as one. The place is brimming with energy. It is intense. The riot police who are deployed to contain these marches are helpless to do anything, in the face of all these chanting people running at them. They do not throw stones or Molotov cocktails. They do not smash cars and shop windows (for the most part). They only chant their traditional struggle songs, clench their fists, and march on. The unarmed mob instills fear in the heart of the oppressors by just doing their toyi-toyi dance. And their songs with their explicit lyrics, some of them really really explicit.
There was a very interesting 2002 documentary called "Amandla! A Revolution In Four Part Harmony" on the subject, I warmly recommend it. The soundtrack also features some of the most marvelous traditional South African pieces of music one could ever find.
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(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 11:01 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 11:40 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 11:16 (UTC)Police: "What the fuck are you doing? On your knees slaves!"
Us: "What's a matter, I thought you guys liked heavy metal!"
*Teeming horde of pushing, shoving, storming, lunging, flailing limbs tearing, shredding, and blitzing through police ranks with the force of an explosive tornado*
The revolution will not be civilized...
(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 14:45 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 17:14 (UTC)I mean really? Who needs university classes on world studies when they have you on Livejournal.
Such a great post, thanks dude.
(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 17:25 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 17:51 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 17:55 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 18:05 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 18:09 (UTC)Music straight from the heart.
(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 18:13 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 18:16 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20/3/12 18:23 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 21/3/12 16:52 (UTC)