Great piece Ellen! Steven Van Zandt is truly a force of nature. . . nice to be reminded of all the details surrounding the "Sun City" project. Gabriel's "Biko" and Little Steven's work certainly played a big role in informing me about South Africa at the time.
I'd forgotten the part about Reagan vetoing the anti-apartheid bill - that man is responsible for SO much bad shit that's been forgotten - and hooray for Bill Bradley coming through with support for Steven, love that story!
Thanks, Hugh! I have to say that I knew none of this story until watching the documentary, which really blew me away.
It's great to hear that you were informed by their efforts at the time, which reinforces my belief that it's a legitimate and important example of protest song impact.
I'm glad to hear you confirm that, as I don't remember it at all. But then I was listening to a lot of pop at that time and doing areobics to the pop divas!
Oh, wow, this is amazing. I didn't know any of those stories and they're remarkable. It's impressive how much the different musicians were able to continue to bring focus to the apartheid regime over a long period of time (the post covers 12 years from 1977 to 89)
Dammers told Radio Times: "I knew very little about Mandela until I went to an anti-apartheid concert in London in 1983, which gave me the idea for 'Nelson Mandela'. I never knew how much impact the song would have: it was a hit around the world, and it got back into South Africa and was played at sporting events and ANC rallies. It became an anthem."
also
In an interview with The Guardian, Dammers noted how a little while after the song’s release, “The song was banned in South Africa, but they played it at football matches, which were communal black gatherings," proving just how powerful the song was. It soared up the charts. The song achieved its intent, bringing Mandela’s intentions and anti-apartheid message to the forefront of conversations. It wasn’t simply the magnitude of younger individuals who now learned about Mandela, but according to South African writer Jonny Steinberg, “what that name came to mean." Further acting as a catalyst for the song's success was the band's status as a top 10 band in England, therefore giving them credibility and sway in their release of such a song. Veteran DJ and broadcaster Paul Gambaccini is quoted as saying, “If the Specials say it, there must be something to it.”
Another great example of how artists can be influenced and inspired and turn around and do the same with others.
I think we also can never underestimate how much that kind of support gives hope and perseverance to people suffering under apartheid and other adverse circumstances, knowing that others are on their side and with them in spirit.
"Divestment, I think, was the least important tactic. Its main significance was that it allowed many young people who wanted to show a disdain for apartheid to do so in the most conveniently local setting and therefore to make the revulsion for apartheid more powerfully global. More important by far in terms of making that revulsion felt within South Africa was the sports boycott. I remember some activists I knew seeing that as trivial, but that just showed how little we understood the mass psychology of South Africans. American college students building shantytowns was easy to sneer at, but not being allowed to play rugby abroad? Shit got real at that point."
That's an interesting blogpost, Nick, and beyond what you've pulled out about sports boycotts, points out the importance of the banks pulling or calling due loans after 1985 because of pressure from activists, as well as the unrest in the homelands. Steven had mentioned something along those lines. I'll have to add that into the post!
Thanks, Nick. I agree that these artists did remarkable work and sustained it over time. But then all three have careers that show how persistent they are!
It appears that The Specials' song made it to #9 on the UK chart and in the top ten in some other countries, but either didn't cross the pond or didn't break into the chart here, which for various reasons can happen with UK tunes.
I highly recommend the documentary on Paul Simon called In Restless Dreams, as he addresses the controversy around his work with South African artists in great detail. It's also a really interesting documentary in terms of his songwriting process.
Thanks for the reminder. I am interested in the Paul Simon documentary -- annoyingly it looks like it's not available on DVD in the US, and I don't watch much on streaming. But I will definitely keep an eye out for it.
I also will look for the David Crosby book; that sounds really interesting.
I'm tempted to say that I remember the period well and take a somewhat different view; but that's just me, another patriot who specializes in hidden agendas.
It's tough to be neutral when it comes to racial unrest.
But you did the work, and you deserve the credit. Well done.
Point taken. This is a very fast overview of a huge topic about which many books and articles have been written, so I can imagine there are many other memories and viewpoints.
My intention here has only been to use several inside sources to present a case that suggests that protest songs can have impact, and that that impact can be significant.
I think another argument for that view is how threatening governments find artists, and how keen they are to get artists to endorse them (including paying them large sums to do so). Artists often have credibility in a way others do not, and in particular they have an impact on the young who are more likely to protest with their dollars, their vote, or their feet.
Ellen's topic is music and the lives of artists. You perfectly captured the power of music to draw us into something or other. As for lyrical music and popular culture, one might feel a unifying rhythm while another feels the drums of war, the lines become blurred and we never learn the truth (America's national anthem is a protest song).
My youthful years were fraught with protest and at times violent protest. The thoughts that preceded those actions were not the invention of my youthful mind, but was, as I now know, indoctrination.
That's another huge and loaded topic. I will be talking in and around that in some posts for paid subscribers. If you have any written or video sources I can tap into, let me know.
Wonderful article Ellen, and impressive work on pulling the story together. I actually do remember all of the songs, but did not know much about their history or the details of the Sun City project.
Thanks, Charles, and that is indeed a remarkable story about Sixto Rodriguez, and a wonderful post.
I did see the documentary Sugar Man about him, and as you wrote, it was both infuriating to see how he was robbed by the music industry but deeply touching when he returned to South Africa years later and was received with adulation.
It was wonderful that he was able to learn how much his songs had meant and the good that they had done.
What a fantastic article! I’m so pleased you covered some of the anti-apartheid protest songs. I wanted to send a submission in when you last made a call for submissions but life was too busy at the time and I missed the deadline.
I would have sent over a few tracks, the first of which is The Specials’ “Free Nelson Mandela”, released in 1984. This was revelatory to me as a sheltered and innocent 13-year old and was what prompted me to learn a little about apartheid.
The second song would be “Sing Our Own Song”, released in 1986 by UB40. Featuring the African National Congress rallying cry of “Amandla Awethu” — a call (Power!) and response (“To Us!”) chant used at ANC rallies — the song was banned in South Africa.
Lastly, my bookend song would be the 1990 track “Celebrate (Mandela’s Freedom)” by British reggae singer Pato Banton. In fairness, it’s not a brilliant song. But the joyousness in the chorus captures the feeling I had on February 11, 1990 when Mandela was freed after 27 years imprisonment and takes me back to the celebration march I attended in my college town of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was an incredibly meaningful and transformative experience.
Thanks for sharing these songs that meant so much to you, Mark. What strikes me about these and other anti-apartheid songs is that they are joyful, hopeful, uplifting songs rather than woeful or sad. It's what I love about a lot of African music, that it makes you want to get up and dance -- as they are doing in the first video.
I should probably give people a longer deadline when I call for submissions. It would have been lovely to include your selection. Next time!
You’ve crafted an important piece here. I’ve gone through it half a dozen times and still find something new at each reading.
You’ve done a masterful job of creating the timeline as well as detailing the players. I had the 40k foot view of this but you filled in the details. This happened during my tenure in the music/entertainment industry but my world was in a different universe than this one. I would get snatches of stuff through conversations but was not really “plugged in”.
One piece I did connect with though was how Americans were perceived overseas. It changed markedly throughout the years, of course depending upon where you were. The only real connection I had to South Africa was going there a couple of times to surveil Great White sharks on diving excursions. When touristing in a country you don’t get a flavor for it really. It’s like driving across the U.S. on the interstate.
I have a couple of my older students who have a propensity toward social causes. I am going to direct them to this essay as it ties music to activism. In fact your whole series is useful. It covers a lot of musical territory.
Thanks so much, Daniel. I have to agree that the perception of Americans has changed markedly over the years. Fortunately, people tend to make a distinction between us and our government, no longer assuming that we agree with what is being done in our name and with our tax dollars.
Having lived in a number of foreign countries, including a couple of years in Africa, I have to agree that it's hard to get a real flavor of a country as a tourist. And even living there it takes time to start to really understand the people and the context. That's why I think Little Steven took exactly the right approach, going to South Africa and asking them how they saw the situation and what they thought needed to happen. Even going so far as to visit the off-limits Soweto homeland. Quite extraordinary and full respect to him for his passion and courage.
That would be great if you direct students to the essay. My hope is that it inspires artists to continue to express their views through music, as it's a powerful channel for doing so.
You have had an interesting life doing security for rock bands and surveiling Great White sharks!
The former gave me the necessary funds for the latter. I try to keep politics out of relationships but it’s become increasingly difficult. My two passions other than music throughout the years have been diving and weightlifting. I’ve been fortunate to do both in many areas of the world and have developed friends and perspectives from doing so. Thank you for your kind response as always.
I sent it to my granddaughter who is a senior in high school and suggested that she might find a project in the history. She is a big music fan. She also is interested in global development.
Great idea! This would make an excellent history project. If she watches the documentary, she will find a wealth of information, and it's also very inspiring. It's available on Max.
If she ends up doing the project and wants to share it, please do put her in touch with me. (Or maybe she will set up her own substack and share it that way!)
Peter Gabriel still ends his concerts with Biko and it's always incredibly emotional. When you have everyone singing the chorus over and over, he fades from the stage and the audience just keeps going as the music guides us, it's incredible.
I didn't know about Steve Van Zandt. I knew about the Sun City project because I was a huge Hall and Oates fan at the time. Thanks for all of this background. Much appreciated.
That sounds amazing. How wonderful that Peter does that!
It was a learning experience for me too, and glad that it resonated with you. I loved Hall & Oates too, but for some reason this whole Sun City thing passed me by at the time. Kind of crazy because I moved to Africa two years later and would be looking after Band Aid/Live Aid funding!
Great piece Ellen! Steven Van Zandt is truly a force of nature. . . nice to be reminded of all the details surrounding the "Sun City" project. Gabriel's "Biko" and Little Steven's work certainly played a big role in informing me about South Africa at the time.
I'd forgotten the part about Reagan vetoing the anti-apartheid bill - that man is responsible for SO much bad shit that's been forgotten - and hooray for Bill Bradley coming through with support for Steven, love that story!
Thanks, Hugh! I have to say that I knew none of this story until watching the documentary, which really blew me away.
It's great to hear that you were informed by their efforts at the time, which reinforces my belief that it's a legitimate and important example of protest song impact.
Excellent article, so well written and researched. I remember when the song came out it was played a LOT.
Thanks so much, David.
I'm glad to hear you confirm that, as I don't remember it at all. But then I was listening to a lot of pop at that time and doing areobics to the pop divas!
Oh, wow, this is amazing. I didn't know any of those stories and they're remarkable. It's impressive how much the different musicians were able to continue to bring focus to the apartheid regime over a long period of time (the post covers 12 years from 1977 to 89)
Possibly of interest, The Specials "Free Nelson Mandela" --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmKiq0mQd8c (Top of Pops 1984)
Also (another tangent) a while ago I was trying to look up details about the controversy around _Graceland_ and Paul Simon breaking the boycott. I found this article informative: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/apr/19/paul-simon-graceland-acclaim-outrage
Looking up "Free Nelson Mandela" this very much fits the theme of the post (of musicians getting other people involved): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Nelson_Mandela
Dammers told Radio Times: "I knew very little about Mandela until I went to an anti-apartheid concert in London in 1983, which gave me the idea for 'Nelson Mandela'. I never knew how much impact the song would have: it was a hit around the world, and it got back into South Africa and was played at sporting events and ANC rallies. It became an anthem."
also
In an interview with The Guardian, Dammers noted how a little while after the song’s release, “The song was banned in South Africa, but they played it at football matches, which were communal black gatherings," proving just how powerful the song was. It soared up the charts. The song achieved its intent, bringing Mandela’s intentions and anti-apartheid message to the forefront of conversations. It wasn’t simply the magnitude of younger individuals who now learned about Mandela, but according to South African writer Jonny Steinberg, “what that name came to mean." Further acting as a catalyst for the song's success was the band's status as a top 10 band in England, therefore giving them credibility and sway in their release of such a song. Veteran DJ and broadcaster Paul Gambaccini is quoted as saying, “If the Specials say it, there must be something to it.”
Another great example of how artists can be influenced and inspired and turn around and do the same with others.
I think we also can never underestimate how much that kind of support gives hope and perseverance to people suffering under apartheid and other adverse circumstances, knowing that others are on their side and with them in spirit.
It's true, and I think about this comment from Timothy Burke (who had been involved in anti-Apartheid campus activism: https://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/blog/2012/04/30/the-four-year-itch/index.html
"Divestment, I think, was the least important tactic. Its main significance was that it allowed many young people who wanted to show a disdain for apartheid to do so in the most conveniently local setting and therefore to make the revulsion for apartheid more powerfully global. More important by far in terms of making that revulsion felt within South Africa was the sports boycott. I remember some activists I knew seeing that as trivial, but that just showed how little we understood the mass psychology of South Africans. American college students building shantytowns was easy to sneer at, but not being allowed to play rugby abroad? Shit got real at that point."
That's an interesting blogpost, Nick, and beyond what you've pulled out about sports boycotts, points out the importance of the banks pulling or calling due loans after 1985 because of pressure from activists, as well as the unrest in the homelands. Steven had mentioned something along those lines. I'll have to add that into the post!
I've updated the post accordingly. Thanks much for that!
Thank you, I'm glad you found that interesting.
Thanks, Nick. I agree that these artists did remarkable work and sustained it over time. But then all three have careers that show how persistent they are!
It appears that The Specials' song made it to #9 on the UK chart and in the top ten in some other countries, but either didn't cross the pond or didn't break into the chart here, which for various reasons can happen with UK tunes.
I highly recommend the documentary on Paul Simon called In Restless Dreams, as he addresses the controversy around his work with South African artists in great detail. It's also a really interesting documentary in terms of his songwriting process.
Thanks for the reminder. I am interested in the Paul Simon documentary -- annoyingly it looks like it's not available on DVD in the US, and I don't watch much on streaming. But I will definitely keep an eye out for it.
I also will look for the David Crosby book; that sounds really interesting.
I think you would enjoy both, if you can find them. I think I rented the doc on amazon prime.
Bravo for bringing these songs back into the light.
Thanks for reading, Al.
Great post!
I'm tempted to say that I remember the period well and take a somewhat different view; but that's just me, another patriot who specializes in hidden agendas.
It's tough to be neutral when it comes to racial unrest.
But you did the work, and you deserve the credit. Well done.
Thanks, David!
Point taken. This is a very fast overview of a huge topic about which many books and articles have been written, so I can imagine there are many other memories and viewpoints.
My intention here has only been to use several inside sources to present a case that suggests that protest songs can have impact, and that that impact can be significant.
I think another argument for that view is how threatening governments find artists, and how keen they are to get artists to endorse them (including paying them large sums to do so). Artists often have credibility in a way others do not, and in particular they have an impact on the young who are more likely to protest with their dollars, their vote, or their feet.
Ellen's topic is music and the lives of artists. You perfectly captured the power of music to draw us into something or other. As for lyrical music and popular culture, one might feel a unifying rhythm while another feels the drums of war, the lines become blurred and we never learn the truth (America's national anthem is a protest song).
My youthful years were fraught with protest and at times violent protest. The thoughts that preceded those actions were not the invention of my youthful mind, but was, as I now know, indoctrination.
That's another huge and loaded topic. I will be talking in and around that in some posts for paid subscribers. If you have any written or video sources I can tap into, let me know.
Happily. What one word describes your query (topic)?
Thanks! I'll message you once I get there and know what I'm struggling with.
Meanwhile I think I'll just pluck the word indoctrination and start there.
Wonderful article Ellen, and impressive work on pulling the story together. I actually do remember all of the songs, but did not know much about their history or the details of the Sun City project.
There is one more character who very much belongs in the history of music vs. apartheid: Sixto Rodriguez. He recently died and I posted a short in memoriam: https://zapatosjam.substack.com/p/rip-sixto-rodriguez
He never knew that his music had become the anthem of the resistance, until long after the fall of apartheid. It's a remarkable story.
Thanks, Charles, and that is indeed a remarkable story about Sixto Rodriguez, and a wonderful post.
I did see the documentary Sugar Man about him, and as you wrote, it was both infuriating to see how he was robbed by the music industry but deeply touching when he returned to South Africa years later and was received with adulation.
It was wonderful that he was able to learn how much his songs had meant and the good that they had done.
What a fantastic article! I’m so pleased you covered some of the anti-apartheid protest songs. I wanted to send a submission in when you last made a call for submissions but life was too busy at the time and I missed the deadline.
I would have sent over a few tracks, the first of which is The Specials’ “Free Nelson Mandela”, released in 1984. This was revelatory to me as a sheltered and innocent 13-year old and was what prompted me to learn a little about apartheid.
https://youtu.be/tJ6kqBOZWBw
The second song would be “Sing Our Own Song”, released in 1986 by UB40. Featuring the African National Congress rallying cry of “Amandla Awethu” — a call (Power!) and response (“To Us!”) chant used at ANC rallies — the song was banned in South Africa.
https://youtu.be/OiE1Ir0Gnxc
Lastly, my bookend song would be the 1990 track “Celebrate (Mandela’s Freedom)” by British reggae singer Pato Banton. In fairness, it’s not a brilliant song. But the joyousness in the chorus captures the feeling I had on February 11, 1990 when Mandela was freed after 27 years imprisonment and takes me back to the celebration march I attended in my college town of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was an incredibly meaningful and transformative experience.
https://youtu.be/eWhb6tq8nLk
Thanks for sharing these songs that meant so much to you, Mark. What strikes me about these and other anti-apartheid songs is that they are joyful, hopeful, uplifting songs rather than woeful or sad. It's what I love about a lot of African music, that it makes you want to get up and dance -- as they are doing in the first video.
I should probably give people a longer deadline when I call for submissions. It would have been lovely to include your selection. Next time!
Love this! I still have this 7” somewhere. In a lot of ways, this was how I first learned about apartheid.
Thanks, Kevin. Another testimonial that the song had impact!
You’ve crafted an important piece here. I’ve gone through it half a dozen times and still find something new at each reading.
You’ve done a masterful job of creating the timeline as well as detailing the players. I had the 40k foot view of this but you filled in the details. This happened during my tenure in the music/entertainment industry but my world was in a different universe than this one. I would get snatches of stuff through conversations but was not really “plugged in”.
One piece I did connect with though was how Americans were perceived overseas. It changed markedly throughout the years, of course depending upon where you were. The only real connection I had to South Africa was going there a couple of times to surveil Great White sharks on diving excursions. When touristing in a country you don’t get a flavor for it really. It’s like driving across the U.S. on the interstate.
I have a couple of my older students who have a propensity toward social causes. I am going to direct them to this essay as it ties music to activism. In fact your whole series is useful. It covers a lot of musical territory.
Thanks so much, Daniel. I have to agree that the perception of Americans has changed markedly over the years. Fortunately, people tend to make a distinction between us and our government, no longer assuming that we agree with what is being done in our name and with our tax dollars.
Having lived in a number of foreign countries, including a couple of years in Africa, I have to agree that it's hard to get a real flavor of a country as a tourist. And even living there it takes time to start to really understand the people and the context. That's why I think Little Steven took exactly the right approach, going to South Africa and asking them how they saw the situation and what they thought needed to happen. Even going so far as to visit the off-limits Soweto homeland. Quite extraordinary and full respect to him for his passion and courage.
That would be great if you direct students to the essay. My hope is that it inspires artists to continue to express their views through music, as it's a powerful channel for doing so.
You have had an interesting life doing security for rock bands and surveiling Great White sharks!
The former gave me the necessary funds for the latter. I try to keep politics out of relationships but it’s become increasingly difficult. My two passions other than music throughout the years have been diving and weightlifting. I’ve been fortunate to do both in many areas of the world and have developed friends and perspectives from doing so. Thank you for your kind response as always.
A lot of content for a very interesting substack. Just saying, no pressure.
🙂
Great read on important songs. Well done Ellen
Thanks so much, PeDupre!
One of the best things I have read.
Thanks so much, Richard. That means so much as it did take quite a bit of work as I wanted to get it right and do justice to the people involved.
I sent it to my granddaughter who is a senior in high school and suggested that she might find a project in the history. She is a big music fan. She also is interested in global development.
Great idea! This would make an excellent history project. If she watches the documentary, she will find a wealth of information, and it's also very inspiring. It's available on Max.
If she ends up doing the project and wants to share it, please do put her in touch with me. (Or maybe she will set up her own substack and share it that way!)
I was aware of this when it was released, all those many, many years ago. But I didn't know any of the background. Now I do. Two thumbs up!
Thanks much. I didn't either and thought what an incredible and inspiring story.
Let’s be real. Van Zandt did the heavy lifting. Still does.
He's a force of nature, that's for sure. And I'd say someone who's willing to take risks others are not willing to take. I think that sets him apart.
Yes ma’am ✌🏼
Hope I didn't come across like a ma'am! Crikey!
Just avoiding judgements about musicians in free posts, which I keep upbeat. Getting real happens behind the paywall only.
Tremendous track. Still got my vinyl.
You're lucky!
Peter Gabriel still ends his concerts with Biko and it's always incredibly emotional. When you have everyone singing the chorus over and over, he fades from the stage and the audience just keeps going as the music guides us, it's incredible.
I didn't know about Steve Van Zandt. I knew about the Sun City project because I was a huge Hall and Oates fan at the time. Thanks for all of this background. Much appreciated.
That sounds amazing. How wonderful that Peter does that!
It was a learning experience for me too, and glad that it resonated with you. I loved Hall & Oates too, but for some reason this whole Sun City thing passed me by at the time. Kind of crazy because I moved to Africa two years later and would be looking after Band Aid/Live Aid funding!
That's utterly wild that you ended up connecting like that!
Found this from the Peter Gabriel show I saw a couple of years ago for you to get a sense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrpqh8WU3ds
(It's from the Ottawa show a couple of nights before. The person who posted Toronto cut off the ending.)
Thanks for sharing that. Very inspiring (the man and the song).