Grocott's Mail
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Sunday, June 22
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Grocott's Mail
    • NEWS
      • Courts & Crime
      • Features
      • Politics
      • People
      • Health & Well-being
    • SPORT
      • News
      • Results
      • Sports Diary
      • Club Contacts
      • Columns
      • Sport Galleries
      • Sport Videos
    • OPINION
      • Election Connection
      • Makana Voices
      • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
      • Newtown… Old Eyes
      • Incisive View
      • Your Say
    • CUE
      • Cue Archives
    • ARTSLIFE
      • Makana Sharp!
      • Visual Art
      • Literature
      • Food
      • Festivals
      • Community Arts
      • Going Places
    • OUR TOWN
      • What’s on
      • Spiritual
      • Emergency & Well-being
      • Covid-19
      • Safety
      • Civic
      • Municipality
      • Weather
      • Properties
        • Grahamstown Properties
      • Your Town, Our Town
    • OUTSIDE
      • Enviro News
      • Gardening
      • Farming
      • Science
      • Conservation
      • Motoring
      • Pets/Animals
    • ECONOMIX
      • Business News
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Personal Finance
    • EDUCATION
      • Education NEWS
      • Education OUR TOWN
      • Education INFO
    • EDITORIAL
    Grocott's Mail
    You are at:Home»ARTS & LIFE»Songs of Grahamstown/eRhini/Makhanda
    ARTS & LIFE

    Songs of Grahamstown/eRhini/Makhanda

    Rod AmnerBy Rod AmnerMarch 19, 2022Updated:March 23, 2022No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    By MICHAEL DREWETT, Cutting Grooves and Mixtapes.org.za

    In our previous mixtape, we featured music by musicians who at some point or other have lived in Grahamstown/Makhanda. This time around, we focus on songs about Grahamstown, some of which are performed by musicians included in that mixtape. All the songs included here were recorded before Grahamstown became Makhanda, and so we stick with that name when mentioning the place the musicians refer to. Most of the songs (some of them instrumentals) refer to the town in general, including several named after the town itself.

    Two of the instrumental pieces – David Goldblum’s “New Street” and Nishlyn Ramanna’s “Oatland Road Blues” evidently refer to Grahamstown street names, while two of the songs – Barry Gilder’s “Makhanda’s Song” and Roger Lucey’s “You Only Need Say Nothing” – relate to the political history of the town. Gilder’s song explores the story of Makhanda himself while Roger Lucey’s song touches on various aspects of the struggle around apartheid, including the fact that Peter Jones was detained in Grahamstown after he and Steve Biko were arrested at a roadblock outside the town in 1977.

    Dave Goldblum
    Barry Gilder
    Nishlyn Ramanna

    The Fishwives and Daniel Friedman (Deep Fried Man) sing lighter songs. “Pied Piper” by the Fishwives refers to a Pied Piper leading rats to a gathering in Grahamstown, while “Stay in Grahamstown” by Daniel Friedman is a satirical consideration about people who settle in Grahamstown too long. It pokes fun at white liberal fears and the ruts that settle in when one stays in Grahamstown too long.

    Two of the songs – Lucy Kruger’s “Heart of Stone” and Tim Hopwood and Joe van den Linden’s “Scattered” – do no refer overtly to Grahamstown/Makhanda but were written about the musicians’ personal experiences in Grahamstown, both about leaving, manifestly having taken heed of the warning not to stay in Grahamstown too long.

    Tim Hopwood and Joe van den Linden
    Lucy Kruger

    We don’t want to say too much about the songs featured here, as we want to leave it to you to listen to and explore reflections on the town as these musicians would want you to. Enjoy!

    1. Umsakazo E Grahamstown – Alabhama Kids
    2. G-Town – Eddy De Clerq, Yemu Matibe & Alungile Sixishe
    3. Grahamstown – Zulublue
    4. Pied Piper – Fishwives
    5. Grahamstown – Carl Allen And Rodney Whittaker
    6. Settler Country – Larry Strelitz
    7. Grahamstown Fever – The Sighs Of Monsters
    8. Lekker Sakkie – Hot Water
    9. Stay In Grahamstown – Daniel Friedman
    10. Grahamstown – Decio Gioielli
    11. New Street – David Goldblum
    12. Grahamstown – Philip Malan & Ronan Skillen
    13. Oatlands Road Blues – Nishlyn Ramanna
    14. Grahamstown – Eric Van Der Western And Louis Mahlanga
    15. You Only Need Say Nothing – Roger Lucey
    16. Pondo Fever – Matt Vend & The Tender Ten
    17. Heart Of Stone – Lucy Kruger
    18. Scattered – Tim Hopwood & Joe Van Den Linden
    19. Makhanda’s Song – Barry Gilder
    Previous ArticleThe decision to rename Grahamstown was irrational and undemocratic
    Next Article A city united for its children – the Makhanda Children’s Rights Coalition
    Rod Amner
    • Website

    Comments are closed.

    Code of Ethics and Conduct
    GROCOTT’S SUBSCRIPTION
    RMR
    Listen to RMR


    Humans of Makhanda

    Humans of Makhanda

    Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

    © 2025 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.