Africa

Protest songs: music against apartheid

Music became a weapon in the fight against apartheid

The marquee of New York’s Apollo Theatre pays respects to former South African President Nelson Mandela in New York. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
The marquee of New York’s Apollo Theatre pays respects to former South African President Nelson Mandela in New York. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Fri Dec 06 2013 - 12:44

During the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent in prison, his freedom became synonymous with the freedom of his country. Songwriters and poets invoked his name in calling for apartheid’s end.