is the story of the contribution of South African song & music in the anti-apartheid movement. There is plenty of music in this DVD, & surprisingly all of it is uplifting & moving. One of the producers commented that for some parts of the movie they were seeking more somber music, but could not find any! Vuyisile Mini (1920-1964) is one of the featured musicians, amongst many. He was executed by the South African government for expressing his dissent through his songs. I know of many musicians that give their lives to music, but few that would give their lives FOR their music, & freedom!I am still going through the “extras” in the movie, including the director’s comments. There is also an interview with Dave Matthews, founder of the Dave Matthews Band, being a native of South Africa. Synchronistically I just found out last night as I was writing this blog, that Nelson Mandela was freed on a day like today, February 11, 1990. He eventually became the first South African freely-elected, post-apartheid president. I cannot but feel deeply the contribution that music made to the changed history of this nation.
Some additional websites with related information:
- Vuyisile Mini in Wikipedia
- Amandla! Singing Down Apartheid
- BBC's 1990 Headline: Mandela Freed!
"Amandla" is a Xhosa and Zulu word meaning "power", as the documentary demonstrates. It won multiple awards, including some at the Sundance Festival in 2002.
And by the way, the letters in the word "amandla" also spell "mandala" (meaning circle in Sanskrit) ...
Let me know if the documentary "spoke" to you as well :-)
Blessings,
Eduardo
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