Miriam Makeba, or Mama Africa as she was known, was a prolific artist and anti-apartheid activist. Her music is well known but perhaps less known were her close affiliations with the American civil rights movements and Pan-African movements. Check out Miriam Makeba’s Official Website People say that Shaka was the…

Sonny Okosuns (sometimes spelt without the ‘s’) was born in Nigeria in 1947. His reggae hit Fire in Soweto resulted in world fame, which lasted through the late 70’s and 80’s. The song became an underground hit in South Africa. Okosuns played many anti-apartheid concerts and was also known for his pan-africanism,…

Written and recorded in 1976, the song Zombie is the musical manifestation of Fela’s personal transformation into a political force. The song marks the crucial turning point in Fela’s development when his political awakening merged with his new musical vision. Considering the social and political context that birthed the song, Zombie is a scathing…