Senzeni Na?
"Senzeni Na?" (also spelled Senzenina, English: What Have We Done?)[1] is a South African anti‐apartheid folk song. The Xhosa and Zulu language song is commonly sung at funerals, demonstrations and in churches.[1][2] Activist Duma Ndlovu compared the influence of "Senzeni Na?" to that of the American protest song, "We Shall Overcome."[3]
| "Senzeni Na?" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Xhosa Zulu language |
| Genre | Folk music |
The song has been around at least since the 1950s, and it reached the height of its popularity during the 1980s.[1] The origins of the song are unclear. Zimbabwean poet Albert Nyathi wrote a song by the same title, "Senzeni Na?" on the day that activist Chris Hani died.[4]
The song was among several songs of a more mournful nature that became popular among anti-apartheid activists in the 1960s. The song repeats the line "What have we done" a number of times, which musician Sibongile Khumalo has described as giving the listener a sense of desolation.[5]
Lyrics
There does not seem to be one universally agreed on set of lyrics. Below are two versions, the bottom one being the more aggressive of the two:
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Appearances in the Western world
While best known in South Africa, "Senzeni Na?" has gained some popularity overseas. The song was featured in the anti‐apartheid film The Power of One[8] as well as during the opening credits of the film In My Country, and a recording of the song as sung at the funeral of Steve Biko can be heard at the end of the album version of "Biko" by Peter Gabriel.[9] The music was used for an adaptation of the hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" by Isaac Watts in the Mennonite Hymnal: A Worship Book.[10]
In Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy there is a city called Senzeni Na (founded by the Japanese). Part 7 of the book is also titled "Senzeni Na."[11]
References
- Matyu, Jimmy (November 1, 2006). "'Senzeni Na' sung as an anthem of the struggle". The Herald Online. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- Pieterse, Cosmo (June 1989). "Towards a Survey: A reflection on South African poetry". In Campschreur, Willem; Divenda, Joost (eds.). Culture in Another South Africa. Olive Branch Press. ISBN 978-0-940793-36-1. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- Jorritsma, Marie. "Songs for Freedom: Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony". Echo. 5 (1). ISSN 1535-1807.
- "The Truth About: Albert Nyathi". New Zimbabwe. July 15, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- Schumann, Anne (2008). "The Beat that Beat Apartheid: The Role of Music in the Resistance against Apartheid in South Africa" (PDF). Wiener Zeitschrift für kritische Afrikastudien. 14 (8): 26. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- "Senzeni na?". Bangor Community Choir. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- Nora Makky. "Song in the Anti-Apartheid and Reconciliation Movements in South Africa" (PDF). Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- "The Power Of One soundtrack Hans Zimmer (1992)". www.hans-zimmer.com. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- Drewett, Michael (February 2007). "The Eyes of the World Are Watching Now: The Political Effectiveness of 'Biko' by Peter Gabriel". Popular Music and Society. 30 (1): 39–51. doi:10.1080/03007760500504929.
- Hawn, C. Michael (January 1, 2003). Gather Into One: Praying and Singing Globally. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-8028-0983-4. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
- "Red Mars". Worldcat.org.