One (Hu)'man One Vote

One (Hu)'man One Vote

South Africa

apartheid

time: 20th century

Written by Johnny Clegg in memory of his former professor, friend and fellow academic, Dr. David Webster, the song's lyrics speak to the nation's frustration with its government. In addition to his work as a social anthropologist, Dr. Webster was also an anti-apartheid activist who served as founder of several organizations. He was assassinated by the Civil Cooperation Bureau, a government-sponsored death squad composed of contractors who were often dressed as civilians. The group's objectives reflected the national security policy of the 1980s, which was to terminate the activities of anti-apartheid and liberation groups such as the ANC. In contrast to the more well-known suggestive or indirect style, this song's lyrics contain a sense of immediacy and frustration as illustrated by its mention of violence and weapons. Moreover, the song also echoes the ANC's demand for a unified state, not the separate councils found in the various bantustans or even with the 1984 Tricameral Parliament.

songwriter: Johnny Clegg

1989

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English

Zulu

genre: pop

genre: world music

South Africa

Shoup, John, and ﺟﻮﻥ ﺷﻮﺏ. "Pop Music and Resistance in Apartheid South Africa / ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺳﻴﻘﻰ ﺍﻟﺪﺍﺭﺟﺔ ﻣﻘﺎﻭﻣﺔً ﻟﻠﺘﻤﻴﻴﺰ ﺍﻟﻌﻨﺼﺮﻱ ﻓﻲ ﺟﻨﻮﺏ ﺃﻓﺮﻳﻘﻴﺎ." Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, no. 17 (1997): 73-92. Accessed July 10, 2020. doi:10.2307/521608.

Johnny Clegg & Savuka

Savuka

Sandy Trand

One (Hu)'man One Vote [Youtube]