ABSTRACT

This chapter explore how a song written by a foreigner to South Africa managed to become a seminal musical marker in the anti-apartheid movement, and elevate the composer to the status of a primary anti-apartheid dissident within the struggle. It also explores how the song was situated within the grander scheme of musical protest and social politics, to what extent it both revealed and mobilized the resistance movement within the country, and what the interplays and differences were between its successes both internally and externally. The South African transition from apartheid to democracy stands as an unprecedented example of relentless and ingenious strategies toward a peaceful resolution in the face of political crisis and social upheaval. In the anti-apartheid struggle, diverse social arenas produced musical catalysts that could inform and unite dissidents in the movement, while transforming visions of the future. A song by the British rock musician Peter Gabriel simply entitled 'Biko' appeared on the South African music scene.