Jazz trombonist and composer Jonas Gwangwa (born: Jonas Mosa Gwangwa) has p… Read Full Bio ↴Jazz trombonist and composer Jonas Gwangwa (born: Jonas Mosa Gwangwa) has played an influential role in the evolution of South African jazz. A member, along with jazz pianist Abudllah Ibrahim (then, known as Dollar Brand), of the Jazz Epistles, the first Black South African to release an album, Gwangwa has gone on to become an award-winning composer. In addition to composing the scores of such films as Cry Freedom, Generations and Othello, Gwangwa composed the theme music of South Africa's Olympic bid in 1997. Gwangwa was one of many talented musicians mentored by South African alto saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi in the early-1950s. Following the disbanding of the Jazz Epistles in 1959, Gwangwa continued to make his presence known amongst South Africa's jazz enthusiasts. His fame spread to the United States in the mid-1960s. In 1965, Gwangwa was featured in a "Sound Of Africa" concert at Carnegie Hall, sharing the stage with Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Letta Mbulu. Two years later, he returned tio the United States to participate in a national tour, "The Main Event", featuring Masekela and Herb Alpert. Despite his hefty reputation, Gwangwa remained a victim of apartheid. When the South African government passed laws making it illegal for Blacks to congregate, in the early 1970s, Gwangwa left his homeland. After touring Europe in a musical production of King Kong, he continued on to the United States, where he attended the Manhattan School of Music in New York. With the encouragement and patronage of Harry Belafonte, Gwangwa was able to . successfully break through to American audiences. Continuing to break new ground as a composer and arranger, Gwangwa served ten years as musical director of the ANC cultural ensemble tour, "Amandla". In 1987 and 1988, he collaborated with George Fenton to compose the score for the Richard Attenborough film, Cry Freedom. In addition to being nominated for Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe awards, the film received Ivor Bovello and Black Emmy awards. Gwangwa returned to South Africa in 1991.

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Freedom for Some
Jonas Gwangwa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Free my people
Free my people

Kode kube nini
Sikhala sinyamezela
Oh yithi MaAfrika
Oh-oh-oh! Sikhokhele Mandela
Nelson Mandela, we all need you here today
Your children want to touch you
The way they did some time ago
You are the head of the family
The hero of the nation
Welcome home
Meet your people, Mandela

Freedom for some is freedom for none
The whole world united, we fight
Till all are free

Free my people
Free my people

Freedom bells are ringing
From all corners of the land
Black and white marching hand in hand
Prison walls are shaking
Mandela is not breaking
Freedom now
Freedom now for my people
Nothing can ever stop us now
We are on our way
We will, we'll be together soon
In South Africa, we will be free

Freedom for some is freedom for none
The whole world united, will fight
Till all are free

Freedom for some is freedom for none
The whole world united, will fight
Till all are free

We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free

Freedom for some is freedom for none
The whole world united, will fight
Till all are free

We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free
We will be free, we will be free

Overall Meaning

The song "Freedom for Some" by Jonas Gwangwa is a powerful anthem that calls for the freedom of all people. The song begins with the repeated call to "free my people" and then moves into a series of verses that highlight the struggle for freedom in South Africa. The chorus, "Freedom for some is freedom for none, the whole world united, we fight till all are free," is a powerful call to action and a recognition that true freedom cannot be achieved until everyone is free.

The first verse of the song speaks to the longing for freedom felt by the people of South Africa. The lyrics "Kode kube nini, Sikhala sinyamezela" translate to "Until when will we cry silently?" and speak to the frustration and sadness felt by those who are oppressed. The lyrics "Oh yithi MaAfrika, Oh-oh-oh! Sikhokhele Mandela" mean "Oh Africa says, oh-oh-oh! Lead us, Mandela" and show the hope that many had in Nelson Mandela as a leader who could bring change to the country.

The second verse addresses the idea that freedom is not just a black issue, but rather an issue that affects everyone. The lyrics "Black and white marching hand in hand" show that people from different backgrounds can come together to fight for freedom. The verse also highlights Mandela's strength and determination, with the lyrics "Prison walls are shaking, Mandela is not breaking."

The song is a powerful representation of the struggle for freedom in South Africa and the hope that many had in Nelson Mandela as a leader. The chorus emphasizes the importance of unity in the fight for freedom and the idea that true freedom cannot be achieved until everyone is free.

Line by Line Meaning

Free my people
Let my people go, free them from oppression

Free my people
Let my people go, free them from bondage and captivity

Kode kube nini
When will this be over? When will we have freedom?

Sikhala sinyamezela
We cry and we weep, but we won't give up

Oh yithi MaAfrika
Oh, Africa, our motherland

Oh-oh-oh! Sikhokhele Mandela
Lead us, Mandela, guide us to freedom

Nelson Mandela, we all need you here today
We need Mandela's leadership now, more than ever

Your children want to touch you
Your people want to be with you, to connect with you

The way they did some time ago
Like they used to before you were imprisoned

You are the head of the family
You are the leader, the father figure of our nation

The hero of the nation
You are our national hero, our champion of freedom

Welcome home
We welcome you back to your homeland, to your people

Meet your people, Mandela
Come and connect with your people, be with us

Freedom bells are ringing
The sound of freedom is in the air

From all corners of the land
Freedom is spreading from all parts of the country

Black and white marching hand in hand
People of all races, united in the march for freedom

Prison walls are shaking
The walls that once held us captive are now trembling

Mandela is not breaking
Mandela is strong, he won't be defeated

Freedom now
We want freedom now, not tomorrow, not next week

Freedom now for my people
We want freedom for everyone, for every person in South Africa

Nothing can ever stop us now
We are unstoppable, nothing can stand in our way

We are on our way
We are making progress, we are headed towards freedom

We will, we'll be together soon
We will be united, we will be free, soon

In South Africa, we will be free
Our ultimate goal is freedom, for South Africa, for all of us

We will be free, we will be free
We will achieve our goal, we will be free

Freedom for some is freedom for none
As long as anyone is oppressed, we are all oppressed

The whole world united, will fight
We are not alone, the struggle for freedom is global

Till all are free
Our fight for freedom won't stop until every person is free

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@SpheTheChosenOneDlungwane

1y↑2

Nice track . Continue to rest in power Sir

@incognito9909

3y↑4

Ulale ngoxolo Baba.

@blackgerman4238

10w

This video motivated me through my GED . I wanted to quit but I couldn't.

just now