Seeking apology is a punitive urge. Asking someone to be sorry for what they’ve done may be asking that the other, the one who abused or hurt us in some way, understands the consequence of their misbehavior. But it is also a way of asking them to bow down, to beg. You can’t ask someone to beg with love in your heart.
— Mary Cody, from her essay reflecting on our show, “Desmond Tutu’s God of Surprises.”
Trent Gilliss, senior editor
A Taste of South African Music
Chris Heagle, producer
The music used in this week’s show with Desmond Tutu is really worth checking out. I’ve included a couple extra tracks that weren’t used in the final production. I found them to be powerful examples of how music can help people deal with even the most extreme adversity.
The first is the heart-breaking “Senzeni Na?,” which I wrote about last week.
The other is “Beware Verwoerd (Naants’ Indod’Emnyama),” which is a warning to former Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, often called the “architect of apartheid.” This song sounds like a dance, a celebration, or cheerful party music, while the lyrics are repeating “Here comes the black man Verwoerd! Watch out Verwoerd!” The juxtaposition makes me smile every time I listen to it.
I know this playlist is just a tiny taste, but I hope it can serve as a jumping off point for people to explore the vast musical heritage of South Africa. As always, you can listen to the complete versions of music you hear on each show’s particular SOF Playlist.
