BIKO was released on the 15th August 1980 reaching number 38 in the UK charts and staying in the charts for 3 weeks.
Side A
Biko
Side B
Shosholoza / Jetzt Kommt die flut
Released on Charisma Records (CB 370)
Produced by David Lord and Peter Gabriel
Notes:
“Biko” is a protest song by British rock musician Peter Gabriel. The song was included on Gabriel’s third album, Peter Gabriel (1980). It is about Steve Biko, a noted black South African anti-apartheid activist.
Biko had been arrested by the South African police in late August 1977. After being held in custody for several days, he was interrogated in room 619 of the Walmer Street prison in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape.
Following the interrogation, during which he sustained serious head injuries, Biko was transferred to a prison in Pretoria, where he died shortly afterwards, on 12 September 1977.
Further Notes:
Shosholoza is a Ndebele folk song that originated in Zimbabwe but was popularized in South Africa. The song is a traditional South African Folk song that was sung by Ndebele all-male migrant workers that were working in the South African mines in a call and response style.
The song is so popular in South African culture that it is often referred to as South Africa’s second national anthem.
The song was usually sung to express the hardship of working in the mines. It expresses heartache over the hard work performed in the mines. The word Shosholoza or “chocholoza!” means go forward or make way for the next man, in Ndebele. It is used as a term of encouragement and hope for the workers as a sign of solidarity.
The sound “sho sho” uses onomatopoeia and reminiscent of the sound made by the steam train (stimela).[10] Stimela is the Zulu word for steam train.”Kulezo ntaba!” means (At those far away mountains), “Stimela Siphume eZimbabwe” (the train come from Zimbabwe), “Wen´ uya baleka” (Because you’re running away/hurrying). In contemporary times, its meaning is to show support for any struggle.
(taken from Wikipedia)
Genesis related note: Phil Collins appears on this track playing a Surdo (which is like a large bass drum ranging from 16 inch in diameter to 29 inch in diameter) and it is an instrument normally used in Brazilian music.
