This carefully compiled collection is a chronicle of music as a means of protest and survival through more than 40 years of struggle against apartheid. 

The role of music in the struggle against racial oppression is paramount. For every trouble there was a song, for every joy and every heartbreak, there was a tune. Nothing could quell the insurrectionary power of song. Songs were solace, encouragement and resilience.  They signified the triumph of the spirit- the apartheid government took everything away from people but it could not stop them from singing. 

Freedom Songs are about passion. About facing bullets fearlessly and defying the odds through song. The songs on this album which were compiled by well-known apartheid activist Sifiso Ntuli, were used to hide protest slogans, banned materials and secret information, etc. By using the voice as the primary instrument, a powerful sound is created. These voices are fortified by the strong clapping or stomping dances. The music is universal; it can be easily understood by an outsider and adapted to changing political situations.  The powerful sound of the songs themselves symbolise the strength ofthe African movement; a sense of community and the culture's strong cooperative spirit. 

The songs on this compilation played a crucial role by bringing Black South Africans together to share their experiences, all of them wanting the improvement of South Africa as a whole. Each individual song was used in a particular phase of the struggle and each had a different aim. Singing built the courage necessary for people to take on a seemingly unbeatable opposition. 

When Nelson Mandela walked to freedom in 1993 and when the ANC emerged victorious in April 1994, South Africa celebrated with music and song. Each chapter of apartheid, whether it was passive resistance, military action, violence and death, elections, or victories, led to the birth of a new group of songs. In South Africa, song remains an integral emotional release and vital political vehicle amongst the masses.

Freedom Songs will not only move you, but also take you on an historical journey that changed the course of a nation.