Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Enoch Sotonga · Public domain · source
Name	Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Language	Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, English
Published	1897
Writer	Enoch Sontonga
Composer	Enoch Sontonga
Genre	Hymn, Anthem

Contents

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika is a hymn originally composed in 1897 by Enoch Mankayi Sontonga that became a pan-African liberation song adopted in several Southern Africaan states and movements. The song's melody and multilingual lyrics have linked it to institutions such as the African National Congress, the United Democratic Front and national governments including South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia. Its evolution intersects with figures and organizations like Sol Plaatje, John Dube, ANC Youth League, Nelson Mandela, and events including the Sharpeville Massacre and the Rivonia Trial.

History and Origins

The hymn was penned by Enoch Mankayi Sontonga in the context of the British Empire's colonial expansion in Cape Colony and the cultural exchanges among Xhosa people, Zulu people, and Sotho people. Early publication and singing occurred in institutions such as mission schools and congregations linked to Wesleyan Methodist Church ministers and activists like John Tengo Jabavu. The song spread through networks including the Fort Hare student body, the African National Congress meetings, and cultural gatherings connected to the South African Native National Congress. During the Anglo-Boer War and the rise of anti-colonial movements, activists such as Solomon Plaatje and organizations like the South African Native Congress promoted the hymn at rallies and funerals alongside contemporary works like Die Stem van Suid-Afrika and pan-African anthems adopted by the Pan-African Congress. Colonial and apartheid responses from entities such as the National Party influenced contested uses that later culminated in incorporation into post-apartheid state symbols during negotiations involving the Convention for a Democratic South Africa and the Multi-Party Negotiating Process.

The original text in Xhosa and Zulu by Enoch Mankayi Sontonga uses religious diction similar to hymns sung in Methodist Church and Anglican Church contexts, aligning with melodies used in works by composers like Charles Gounod and Felix Mendelssohn in harmonic structure. Later stanzas and translations were contributed by figures such as Samuel Mqhayi and adopted into Sesotho renditions used by leaders in Lesotho and Basutoland. Musical arrangements were adapted by choirs from institutions including University of Cape Town choirs, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and community ensembles affiliated with the Trade Union movement and the South African Students' Organisation (SASO). The hymn's chord progressions and modal shifts show affinities with European classical music harmonization and indigenous melodic contours found in Nguni music traditions, enabling versions in Afrikaans and English while retaining liturgical phrasing familiar to congregations at St George's Cathedral, Cape Town and events hosted by the World Council of Churches.

Following negotiations during the transition from apartheid, the song was incorporated in various official capacities alongside other state symbols such as Die Stem van Suid-Afrika and the Coat of Arms of South Africa. The consolidated national anthem adopted in 1997 combined stanzas and arrangements drawing on versions performed at events involving Nelson Mandela and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Elsewhere, independent states including Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika), Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia), Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia), and Namibia (formerly South West Africa) used the hymn in their liberation-era ceremonies administered by movements like Chama cha Mapinduzi, Zambian African National Congress, Zimbabwe African National Union, and SWAPO before formal adoptions of separate anthems such as Ishe Komborera Africa or Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika (as part of other states). The song figured in diplomatic protocols at summits of the Organisation of African Unity and later the African Union, and was performed at state funerals for leaders including Samora Machel, Steve Biko, Chris Hani, and Oliver Tambo.

As a hymn-turned-political song, it has been associated with liberation movements such as the African National Congress, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, SWAPO, and political coalitions like the United Democratic Front. Cultural figures and intellectuals including Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Miriam Makeba, and Hugh Masekela incorporated the hymn's themes in performances and recordings, linking it to literary and artistic movements across West Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa. The song has been central to commemorations of events such as the Sharpeville Massacre, Soweto Uprising, Freedom Charter gatherings, and memorials for activists like Hendrik Verwoerd's opponents and victims of state repression, often appearing alongside pieces by composers like Fela Kuti and poets like Dennis Brutus. Debates over linguistic representation, cultural heritage, and reconciliation involved institutions such as the South African Heritage Resources Agency and commissions modeled on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Prominent recordings were made by ensembles including the South African Broadcasting Corporation choirs, soloists such as Miriam Makeba and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and orchestral arrangements by conductors tied to the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. International performances occurred at venues like Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and summits such as the United Nations General Assembly where representatives from South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia participated. Arrangers and composers including Stanley Glasser, Michael Blake, and church musicians associated with Anglican Communion cathedrals created choral versions used in commemorative services for figures like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Walter Sisulu. The hymn continues to appear in contemporary recordings by choirs from University of the Witwatersrand, ensembles connected to International Criminal Court ceremonies, and community performances at festivals such as the National Arts Festival and the Johannesburg Festival.

Category:South African songs Category:African anthems