Sun City

Sun City

South Africa

anti-apartheid songs

bantustans

Sun City

time: 20th century

protest songs

Written by Steven Van Zant, this anti-apartheid song was performed by a group of global artists (mostly from the English-speaking world). Though it was a global sucess, the song was banned in South Africa, a common practice for songs whose content the nation disagreed with. "Sun City" refers to a segregated casino and resort in South Africa. As part of the UN anti-apartheid boycott (Security Council Resolution 473) on South Africa, which included cultural acts, global artists were banned from performing in the nation but many still sang at the venue. Those who participated in the making of the song pledged not to play at Sun City. The location of the resort angered many, as it was located on a bantustan, an area of land where black South Africans were forcibly relocated by the government. The declaration of these areas as "independent states" worked favorably for the central South African government because it served as an excuse to strip black South Africans of their citizenship. The location of the resort was deliberately chosen since bantustans (in this case of the Republic of Bophuthatswana) were subject to different laws because they were considered an independent state but weren't recognized by any other nation. The song's lyrics express outrage and the need for change regarding the state of affairs in 1980's South Africa. Some of its suggestions include denouncing then-President Ronald Regan's policy of constructive engagement. The song featured not just a diverse group of musicians but also of genres; hip-pop, rock, pop among others.

songwriter: Steven Van Zandt

1985

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English

genre: hip-pop

genre: new wave

genre: pop

genre: pop

South Africa

Goldberg, Denis. “T-Shirts, Music, and More Solidarity.” In A Life for Freedom: The Mission to End Racial Injustice in South Africa, 300–315. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2016.

Artists United Against Apartheid

Sandy Trand

Sun City [Youtube]