Tshotsholoza, Go Forward

In the first few days of working at BCC, I was lucky enough to be able to sit in on a rehearsal with the singers from the Premier Choir. The first song they rehearsed was a South African folk song called Tshotsholoza. Artistic Director Anthony Trecek-King led the choir in a call and response style round, the chorus responding to Anthony’s lines by repeating the phrase in a multi-part harmony. This was more than five weeks ago, and I’ve found myself humming the song on an almost daily basis ever since. It’s the kind of song that gives you goose bumps, not just because of the beautiful harmonies that have an almost cathartic effect, but because there is clearly so much meaning behind the relatively simple tune.

For whatever reason, I’ve only just now researched the history of the piece; having done so, it’s easy to see why it strikes a chord. I’m not the only one who’s been captured by this music: Tshotsholoza is such a popular song in South Africa that it is often referred to as its second national anthem. What’s profound about the song is its ability to elicit feelings of hope in its listeners—sung in Afrikaans, the one recognizable phrase is “South Africa”, so it’s easy to brand the song as one of national pride and cultural identity, perhaps meant to inspire patriotism. It should come as no surprise that that assumption is a skin-deep interpretation of the music. Tshotsholoza, meaning “go forward” or “make your way for the next man” was a song sung by miners working in South Africa, migrant workers who made their way from Zimbabwe to labor in South African gold and diamond mines. On the one hand, the song was practical in function because it established a rhythm for the workers, but like many folk songs, singing amongst the miners was a way to encourage solidarity in hardship. Nelson Mandela once spoke of singing Tshotsholoza while working as a prisoner, saying that the song came to represent the black community’s struggles during Apartheid.  

Understanding the history of this piece certainly gives it context. At the same time, its central theme is the word “Tshotsholoza”, or “go forward.” For that reason it’s more emblematic of transformation and moving forward than of dwelling on past hardships.

Check out the BCC singing it at the opening of TEDx Boston: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZS3d0ixJoE