AfricaNow! June 18, 2025 African Liberation Music

Topic and Guest: Forty-nine years ago on June 16, 1976 in Soweto in Johannesburg South Africa youth rose up against the apartheid education system.  Many students were injured and killed by apartheid South Africa police force.  The Soweto Uprising was an important catalyst in galvanizing the world against the brutal apartheid government.  In that context today AfricaNow! goes into its archives with a show that looked at the role of music in African liberation.  The show originally aired on June 16, 2010.  The guest on the show was Kofi Kissi Dompere.  Dr. Kofi Kissi Dompere is a professor emeritus of economics at Howard University and is no stranger to WPFW listeners as he is the longtime Host and Producer of African Rhythms and Extensions from Midnight on Saturday to 2AM Sunday.  He has authored several scientific and scholarly works in economics, philosophy, decision theory, and fuzzy mathematics.  He is the winner of 2006 Cheikh Anta Diop Award for excellence in scholarship.  He has a number of published monographs and has written extensively.  Dr. Kofi Kissi Dompere is a resource person for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and an economic consultant in the areas of cost-benefit analysis, national income accounts, development, and macroeconomics. Professor Dompere is the founder of The Research Institute of Information Decision and Economic Sciences (RIIDES) in which he serves as a distinguished research professor.  

The show includes the first president of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah in January 1961 talking about the killing/assassination of Patrice Lumumba.

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“OVERTURE TO SARAFINA!” ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING commemorating Soweto Day–June 16; break--“FIRE IN SOWETO” BY SONY OKOSUN; sign-off--“COLONIAL MENTALITY” BY FELA KUTI; closing--“A LUTA CONTINUA” BY MIRIAM MAKEBA.

OTHER MUSIC DURING THE DISCUSSION: “BIRTH OF GHANA” BY LORD KITCHENER; “INDEPENDANCE CHA CHA” BY AFRICAN JAZZ; two versions “NKOSI SIKELEL’ IAFRIKA” BY SOWETO COMMUNITY HALL and FROM CONGO; “REDEMPTION SONG” BY BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS; “WIND OF CHANGE (REDEMPTION SONG PART 2)” BY SONY OKOSUN.

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Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

Photo: "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" ('Lord Bless Africa')--https://aaregistry.org/story/nkosi-sikelel-iafrika-lord-bless-africa-is-composed/

AfricaNow! Jun. 18, 2025 African Liberation Music

JOIN US — AUGUST 9TH TO 11TH — AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY’S MARVIN CENTER AS WE CELEBRATE BLACK LIFE ON THE BIG SCREEN WITH THE AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. 

DISCOVER 16 AWARD WINNING FILMS — INCLUDING FICTION AND DOCUMENTARIES – WITH THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL INCLUDING 12 US AND DC PREMIERES.

ENJOY REVIVAL SCREENINGS OF QUILOMBO and FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE…DISCOVER HISTORICAL DOCS ABOUT MOHAMMED ALI, DANNY GLOVER and THE BLACK MOZART IN CUBA! –

WITH TALK BACKS AND VIP RECEPTIONS…THE AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL  AUGUST 9 TO 11 AT THE GWU MARVIN CENTER, - 800 21ST STREET NW.

TICKETS AND SCHEDULE AVAILABLE @  NYADIFF.ORG OR CALL (212) 864-1760.

AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL…WHERE BLACK LIFE MATTERS!

For tickets, schedule and more information visit: https://nyadiff.org/dc-2019/

AfricaNow! Jun. 18, 2025 African Liberation Music

AfricaNow!

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