MeadowLands (Strike Vilakazi)

“Meadowlands“ is one of the most enduring melodies in South African music. The song was composed by Strike Vilakazi in 1956 as a moving, emotional comment on the forced removal of Sophiatown’s residents to the newly created township of Meadowlands, which is now part of Soweto, The lyrics are sung in three different languages Zulu, Sesotho and tsotsitaal, the language of the streets- a mixture of English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Sesotho and Tswana. The lyrics are  ambiguous in their assessment, for or against, the government’s action. The white government thought the song supported their actions, but in reality it was a protest song about [read more…]