Jukebox Thursday: Women who danced away apartheid

Here we are again in the month of August. This is not just any month, but Women's Month.

Women ‘s march to the Union Buildings in August 1956 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images / Johncom)

On the 9th of August 1956, thousands of women marched to the union buildings in Pretoria to petition against the country’s pass laws. The march wanted the apartheid government to do away with the dompas pass laws. The march was led by Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams. These were the forerunners of the march that will forever be etched in history.

In this week’s edition of Jukebox Thursday, we celebrate women who contributed to the struggle through their music. Music is the unspoken soul to one’s reasoning and it rejuvenates the soul. During apartheid, many artists were exiled from South Africa as they were banned for their music. Their music resonated with the people who were suffering from poverty, violence and lack of freedom.

Think along the likes of Miriam Makeba, Abigal Kubeka, Dolly Rathebe, Busi Mhlongo, Letta Mbulu and Yvonne Chaka Chaka. These women are in essence the very same women who fought apartheid away with their music. They are the same women who encouraged the heroes and heroins of back in the apartheid days to hold on. They are the ones who got townships and locations grooving to their beats as they tried to calm restless souls throughout the country.

The above mentioned women have paved the way for today’s women in music such as Brenda Fassie, Thandiswa Mazwai, Simphiwe Dana and PJ Powers. These women continuously remind us that it can and will be done.

Here are 10 songs that will take you back in time.