Rhythms Without Borders
Music is more than sound, it’s rhythm and melody.. heartbeat, memory, movement, and sometimes a revolution. The last part is a nod to a song book titled Songs That Won The Liberation War which has songs from our war of liberation.
Without context, some of those songs could come across as hate songs, a rallying war cry to unimaginable violence, which in a way is what they were, but not quite. South Africa has been facing a lot of heat for a song with origins in the struggle against apartheid with lyrics that translate to “Kill The Boer” which has been said to be advocating for the genocide white South African farmers as fuelled by disproportionate media attention.
One wonders how the sensational breakup and mudslinging currently unfolding in the USA will affect such narratives given how the parties involved carry substantial media influence which they have wielded to manipulate the court of public opinion… But I digress, music connects.
Music transcends borders, uniting people in a melodic communion. Across the world, people are singing, dancing, and vibing to songs whose lyrics they don’t know or understand. Why? Because music doesn’t wait for translation, it moves you anyway.
A social media user asked people to share an African song that people felt was crafted perfectly…
There was no right answer and the responses led to the creation of a 5 hour playlist with 66 songs…. So sit back and listen or get up and dance to a curated list of whats considered the perfect African Song.
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