SOWETO, Jan 22 — South Africa is better known for its hip hop and house scenes, but black punk music is giving voice to a new generation of fans.
It’s the music of the disaffected and now punk rock has found a new home — the Soweto township in South Africa.
Punk originated in the 1970’s in the US, UK and Australia — an aggressive rock soundtrack for a generation angry with the status quo.
Now Soweto band TCIYF is bringing the anti-establishment genre to a new audience and drawing a crowd every time they rehearse.
“Punk rock is, is, what does it mean to me? It’s great man, it’s like I can express myself freely. I can be who I want, I can be myself,” TCIYF bass player Sandile Mbatha said.
Soweto — a sprawling township near Johannesburg — was a flashpoint for the anti-apartheid movement and from the protests on the streets to international concerts, music was a major part of bringing attention to that struggle.
Many of TCIYF’s fans are so called “born frees” — born after apartheid ended in 1994.
And yet they also cite reasons to feel let down by the system — such as a raft of corruption scandals and near record levels of unemployment.
Some of the poorest in South Africa live in this predominantly black area.
“We have this whole DIY movement thing and we’re used to living the life we live. It’s not like we grew up rich, so we just go around and make it happen anyway,” TCIYF founder and guitarist Thula Sizwe said.
Though TCIYF started here their music is also climbing onto the global stage.
Last month they performed at the Johannesburg debut of the Afropunk festival.
Which celebrated cultural diversity, self-expression and black empowerment.
“It’s so nice to see like punk rock, out here, coming out of the hood. These guys are from my hood, from Soweto,” festival goer Mpumi Matshego said.
In a country known for its thriving house and hip hop scene — a black punk band is a rarity but for the youth of South Africa, they seem to have struck a chord. — Reuters
