Soundtrack of a Revolution
The film is anchored in history, but it also features music from the global movement against the brutal Apartheid regime. We’ve collected a sampling of songs from traditional South African folk songs and protest songs from famous musicians from Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela to U2 and Stevie Wonder. Also included are several clips from news reports about events unfolding during the decades-long struggle. The playlist requires the Spotify application (available free).
| TRACK | ARTIST |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Silver And Gold | U2, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, et al |
| Nelson Mandela | The Special AKA |
| Apartheid | Peter Tosh |
| It’s Wrong (Apartheid) | Stevie Wonder |
| Gimme Hope Jo’anna | Eddy Grant |
| Steve Biko (Stir it Up) | A Tribe Called Quest |
| Mandela Day | Simple Minds |
| Dubbing Against Apartheid | Israel Vibration |
| Tears For Johannesburg | Max Roach |
| Village Ghetto Land | Stevie Wonder |
| Soweto Blues | Miriam Makeba |
| Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela) | Hugh Masekela |
| Soweto | Abdullah Ibrahim |
| Cry Freedom | Dave Matthews Band |
| Biko (BBC Radio 1 Session) | The Faith Brothers (covering Peter Gabriel) |
| (Something inside) So Strong | Keith Murrell (covering Labi Siffre) |
| Mr. Biko | Chet Baker |
| Mandela | Santana |
| Selma To Soweto | Orlando Julius |
| Soweto Blues | Miriam Makeba |
| A Motor-Bike in Afrika | Peter Hammill |
| Proud Of Mandela | Macka B Kofi |
| Johannesburg Blues | Les Baxter |
| Dark Days (For Nelson Mandela) | Bobby Watson |
| We Shall Not Give Up the Fight | Alexander L’Estrange |
| Winds Of Change (Mandela To Mandela) | Nona Hendryx (with Peter Gabriel) |
| Freedom is Coming | Mikey Dread |
| Freedom Now | URoy, Earl16 |
| Bring Back Nelson Mandela | Hugh Masakela et al |
| Shot Down | Cherry Faced Lurchers |
| Pambere | Mapantsula |
| Struggle | The Genuines |
| National Madness | The Aeroplanes |
| Treason | Lesego Rampolokeng |
| Hou My Vas Korporaal | Illegal Gathering |
| International News | National Wake |
| Swart September | Koos Kombuis |
| Now Is the Time | Mzwakhe Mbuli |
| Spaces Tell Stories | Roger Lucy |
| Sit Dit Af | Gereformeerde Blues Band |
| In Solitary Confinement | Vusi Mahlasela |
| Brain Damage | Corporal Punishment |
| June 16 | The K-Team |
| Suburban Hum | Jennifer Ferguson |
| Reasonable Men | The Kalahari Surfers |
| Uhuru | Sankomota |
| Hlanganani | DTMB |
| War Is Declared | The Mamu Players |
| No Easy Walk to Freedom | Tighthead Fourie and the Loose Forwards |
| Chile in Your Waters Runs Red to Soweto | Jess Hawk Oakenstar (covering Sweet Honey in the Rock) |
| Apartheid is Nazism | Alpha Blondy |
| Asimbonanga | Johnny Clegg |
| District Six | Abdullah Ibrahim |
| Mannenberg | Abdullah Ibrahim |
| Toyi Toyi | Langa Traditional Singers |
| Thina Sizwe | Langa Traditional Singers |
| Stimela (Coal Train) | Hugh Masekela |
| Last Boat To Goree | Soweto String Quartet |
| Beware, Verwoerd! (Ndodemnyama) | Miriam Makeba (with Harry Belafonte) |
| The Death of Steven Biko | Tom Paxton |
| Asimbonanga (Mandela) | Soweto Gospel Choir |
| Nkosi Sikeleli Afrika (Lord Bless Africa) / Amandla, Awethu (Strength is Ours) – (medley) |
Smithsonian Folkways |
| Sikalela Izwe Lakithi (We Protest for Our Land) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| U Sobukwe Ufuna Amajoni (Sobukwe Wants Freedom Fighters) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Umboso Ka Verwoerd (Verwoerd’s Regime) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Tshotsholoza Mandela (Go Underground Mandela) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Ithemba Edinalo Inkululeko (The Trust I Have is in Freedom) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Imayini Yase (Coalbrook Mine) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Mayibute Afrika (Come Back Africa) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| E Tanganiyka (In Tanganiyka) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Izakunyatheli Afrika Verwoerd (Africa is Going to Trample on You, Verwoerd) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Dubula Nge Mbaymbayi (Shoot with Cannons) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Thinantsha (We are the Youth) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Thina Sizwe (We the Africans) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Oh Tanganiykans | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Ibande Nge Lami (The Belt is Mine) | Smithsonian Folkways |
| I Am Prepared To Die | Nelson Mandela |
| (Extracts from Nelson Mandela’s Rivonia Trial speech) | (read by Peter Finch) |
| We The African Nation (Thina Sizwe) | Folk song |
| Forward To Victory Mandela (Tshotsholoza Mandela) | Folk song |
| Freedom Is My Hope (Ithemba Edinalo Inkululeko) | Folk song |
| Verwoerd’s Regime (Umboso Ka Verwoerd) | Folk song |
| We Are The Youth (Thinantsha) | Folk song |
| National Anthem (Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika) | Folk song |
| Prison Release 1990 speech | Nelson Mandela |
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