Story behind Sweet Honey in the Rock's "Biko"
David Cox
song called "Biko," from the cd "Breaths" by Sweet Honey in
the Rock. It sound like an interesting story; who was Stephen
Biko, and what happenned to him? The words are something
like this:
Biko by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Here comes Stephen Biko
Walking down the road
Hey, Hey, whatcha gonna do with Biko, Biko, Biko
Waters of fear and hatred
Waters of starving babies
Hey etc.
Come all the way from Capetown
To Wilmington North Carolina
Hey etc.
You can break one human body
I see ten thousand Biko's
Hey etc.
Thanks
-David Cox
cr...@netcom.com
David Cox <dc...@relay.nswc.navy.mil> wrote:
>I was wondering if anyone could explain the story behind the
>song called "Biko," from the cd "Breaths" by Sweet Honey in
>the Rock. It sound like an interesting story; who was Stephen
>Biko, and what happenned to him?
>
Steve Biko was instrumental in the rise of the Black Consciousness
movement in South Africa in the late 60's and early 70s. He was
considered to be a powerful thinker and excellent liason between
the white system of power and the various groups seeking to end
apartheid. He died in prison in September of 77, I think, though
it might have been 76. The government listed the official cause
of death as a hunger strike, and mounted an inquest which concluded
that there was no foul play by his jailers, though photographs
taken of him after death reveal that he was certainly beaten and
probably died of a brain hemmorhage.
If you're interested, read _Biko_ and _Asking For Trouble_, both
by Donald Woods, one time editor of the South London "Dispatch"
(I think) and friend of Biko's. Those books were used as the
basis for the movie "Cry Freedom," which is worth seeing.
:crane
Tim Young
I just wanted to add that the song "Biko" was written by Peter Gabriel and
appears on his third album. I agree the movie "Cry Freedom" is worth seeing.
It stars Denzel Washington as Stephen Biko, Alfe Woodard as his wife, and
Kevin Kline as the journalist who makes it out of South Africa with Biko's
story to tell.
Mikes002
dc...@relay.nswc.navy.mil (David Cox) writes:
stephen biko was an anti apartheid activist. don't remember the whole
story but there is a movie starring Denzel Washington i think. there is
also a Peter Gabriel song with the same subject
Amy Rovelstad
[...]
>As a die-hard Sweet Honey in the Rock groupie, I think I need to point
>out that Gabriel's song is not the same as the one discussed here
[...]
True. The Flirtations did a song which combined them both on
_Out on the Road_ . My a priori assumption was that the two
songs are so different that it couldn't work, but somehow it
does. (They actually do several Bernice Johnson Reagan songs -
one of the few covers I've ever heard of Sweet Honey.)
Amy
--
ro...@clark.net
Standard disclaimers apply
Donna M Riley
Hone.. by Tim Yo...@ix.netcom.com
> appears on his third album. I agree the movie "Cry Freedom" is worth seeing.
> It stars Denzel Washington as Stephen Biko, Alfe Woodard as his wife, and
> Kevin Kline as the journalist who makes it out of South Africa with Biko's
> story to tell.
As a die-hard Sweet Honey in the Rock groupie, I think I need to point
out that Gabriel's song is not the same as the one discussed here AND
the Sweet Honey in the Rock version came out years before his. Let's
give credit for social consciousness where it's due. Not to dis' Peter
Gabriel, it's just that Sweet Honey in the Rock has been doing this
stuff much longer (and, I think, better) - they wrote and performed
several songs about South Africa long before U2, Sting, and the whole
trendy Amnesty International crowd got involved in the mid-80s.
-Donna
M. Jonas
>
>
>As a die-hard Sweet Honey in the Rock groupie, I think I need to point
>out that Gabriel's song is not the same as the one discussed here
>
There are at least two (and probably a lot more) other songs about Biko: Tom
Paxton's excellent "The Death Of Stephen Biko" on New Songs From The
Briarpatch (also on Politics Live) and "Biko Drum", recorded by
Christy Moore on Unfinished Revolution (I forgot who wrote it, but I think
it was Jimmy McCarthy).
Martin
Ruth Ellen Seid
Tom Paxton also wrote a song about Biko. It's called "The Death of
Stephen Biko" and it's on Heroes. I believe that Ronnie Gilbert also
recorded it.
--
Ruth Ellen Seid
ad...@lafn.org
Gavan Tredoux
: who was Stephen
: Biko, and what happenned to him?
South African Black Consciousness leader, who died under mysterious
circumstances while in police detention, in 1977. Biko had clearly
sustained serious injuries while in detention, in all likelihood
from assaults during interrogation (though the policemen involved claimed
they were sustained in struggles with Biko). Biko was a former student leader
who had initiated a split by black students away from the national union of
students. The black consciousness he popularized was highly influential
in the 1976 Soweto riots, but has since declined dramtically in popularity.
The philosophy eschews white involvement in black "liberation".
Gavan Tredoux
Cape Town
South Africa
faeryf...@gmail.com
Will Dockery
> There is more than one song about Steven biko. The song we're talking about now was definitely written by Bernice for sweet honey on the rock not for Peter Gabriel or by Peter Gabriel.