In 1979 three Pacific Islanders formed a group called ‘Back Yard’. This was changed in 1980 to Herbs and had added two new members to their band. Herbs was always political with known links to the Pacific Panthers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian_Panthers
The Pacific Panthers were established in 1971 setting the guidelines for community activism. They modelled themselves on the American civil rights movement, the Black Panther Party. The group collectively recognised race related problems developing in New Zealand and sought to address those issues, such as the police dawn raids and inspire the urban youth of Auckland to fight back.In 1981 Ross France, a law student wrote Azania for the band being socially disturbed by the planned Springbok Tour.
The name Azania comes from the ancient Greek, referencing various parts of Southeast Africa and was the original place name for the Southern tip of Africa.
The song Azania uses both monologia and dialogic techniques. The monologia provides truth and power to the racist struggle which is supported with cultural, historic, and social weight rendering a powerful dialogic harmony.
Azania strongly references oppression singing, ’Hiding your evil system under multi-racial disguise’. The power to oppress resides in the State and the monologia is calling for an answer, ‘what you say’ from the oppressed who respond with ‘power to the freedom fighters’.Azania ends with a chanting response, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Azania – all countries on the South Coast of Africa.
The monologia, (sung by Toni Fonoti) uses World famous racial activists, (Steve Biko and Nelson Mandela), as focal points of injustice in the fight for equity and freedom.Mikhail Bakhtin, a linguistic theorist, contrasts the unitary single-voiced speech of the monologue, where only one person is speaking, with the idea of dialogue, where two or more voices engage with each other from different points of view.
Monologue can be associated with truth and power whereas dialogic speech involves multiple speakers who may have differing ideas, thereby creating a platform for negotiation and debate. Klages (2012)
Herbs’ song Azania uses this both monologia and dialogic techniques. The monologia provides truth and power to the racist struggle which is supported with cultural, historic, and social weight rendering a powerful dialogic harmony.
In conclusion, Azania delivers a compilation of apartheid, oppression, harmony and historic racial disharmony. The music is both light and reggae, interspersed with repetition , chanting and strength.
References
Klages Mary Key terms in Literary Theory May 20 (2012)
Herbs’ song Azania uses this both monologia and dialogic techniques.
The monologia provides truth and power to the racist struggle which is supported with cultural, historic, and social weight rendering a powerful dialogic harmony.
Mikhail Bakhtin Ideas, New In Ceasefire – Posted Saturday, November 25, (2017)