Episode 134
Prison Music and Liberation in South Africa
Neo Lekgotla laga Ramoupi (History, University of the Free State) on his new book, Cultural Resistance on Robben Island: Songs of Struggle and Liberation in South Africa (Skotaville 2024). After discussing the genesis of his scholarly interests, Dr. Ramoupi describes prisoners’ music— instruments, genres, styles—and its impact on surviving apartheid’s harshest prison. He then reflects on the relationship between prisoners and guards, and changes in Robben Island prison culture over time. The interview closes with Ramoupi’s reflections on the film, Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony, and a preview of his new Mellon Foundation-funded research project.
Introduction
Dr. Ramoupi's journey to becoming a South African historian.
Ramoupi explains the genesis of his new book on music and resistance in Robben Island Prison.
Discusses how multiple musical genres and prisoners’ instruments, including a self-made saxophone by Vusi Nkumane, helped incarcerated men survive.
Elaborates on the role of music and song in the relationship between prisoners and guards.
Describes changes in Robben Island’s culture sparked by the post-1976 generation of prisoners.
Reflects on Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony, a film about music’s role in South Africa’s freedom struggle.
Ramoupi discusses his new Mellon Foundation-funded research: a History of the African National Congress (ANC) through song.
Wrap up and Outro.
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