Soweto Blues
| "Soweto Blues" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Miriam Makeba from the album Welela | |
| Released | 1977 |
| Genre | Protest song |
| Length | 05:24 |
| Label | Casablanca Records |
| Writer(s) | Hugh Masekela |
| Composer(s) | Hugh Masekela |
| Producer(s) | Hugh Masekela, Stanley Todd |
"Soweto Blues" is a protest song written by Hugh Masekela and performed by Miriam Makeba. The song is about the Soweto uprising that occurred in 1976, following the decision by the apartheid government of South Africa to make Afrikaans a medium of instruction at school. The uprising was forcefully put down by the police, leading to the death of between 176 and 700 people. The song was released in 1977 as part of Masekela's album You Told Your Mama Not to Worry. The song became a staple at Makeba's live concerts, and is considered a notable example of music in the movement against apartheid.
In 1976 the apartheid government of South Africa decided to implement the use of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in all schools instead of English. In response, high school students began a series of protests on the morning of 16 June that came to be known as the Soweto Uprising. Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of Soweto in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. An estimated 15,000–20,000 students took part in the protests. The police were caught unawares by the protests. After initially asking the students to disperse, the police opened fire on the protesting children in order to quell the protest. The number of people who died is usually given as 176, with estimates of up to 700, while several hundred more were injured. The killings sparked off several months of rioting in the Soweto townships, and the protests became an important moment for the anti-Apartheid movement.
The lyrics of "Soweto Blues" refer to the children's protests and the resulting massacre in the 1976 Soweto uprising. A review in the magazine Musician said that the song had "searingly righteous lyrics" that "cut to the bone." "Soweto Blues" was also one of many melancholic songs by Masekela that expressed his commitment to the anti-apartheid struggle, along with "Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela)," "Been Gone Far Too Long," "Mama," and "The Coal Train."
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