Senzeni Na?
"Senzeni Na?" (also spelled Senzenina, English: What Have We Done?)[1] is a South African anti‐apartheid folk song. It is a Xhosa struggle song, and 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 |
| 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:
|
|
|
|
Appearances in the Western world
While best known in South Africa, "Senzeni Na?" has gained some popularity overseas. The song was sung at the funeral scene 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. S2CID 143464359.
- 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. OCLC 29301237 – via Worldcat.org.