MUSIC was more than art during apartheid – it was a weapon, a unifier, and a secret language of defiance. Songs lifted spirits, spread messages, and brought communities together in ways that words alone could not.
“Our songs raised people’s hopes because once we were brave enough to say things as they were, it encouraged listeners to stand up for themselves and say, forward we go, backward never,” says legendary South African musician Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse.
During the 40 years that apartheid – South Africa’s legalised system of racial segregation – held sway, liberation music refuelled and united a movement against oppression. Freedom songs, whether subtle or forceful, were vehicles of protest, often evolving to reflect the changing political landscape. Artists who spoke out risked censorship, exile, or imprisonment.
“Music…
