Guns of Marikana by Emmett Doyle published on 2021-02-28T21:24:05Z First demo of a song about the Marikana massacre; testing some concepts. Currently written with a somewhat sped up beat; might slow it down and give it a defined, pronounced reggae beat. The intent here is not to make a South African sounding song; the band has no organic connection or roots in South Africa, and part of our exploration of the African diaspora and pan-African solidarity within a global working class movement, focuses on the Carribean musical tradition. However, we could examine re-writing the melody and beat to a South African tradition if South African artists assist us in that musical exchange. The pennywhistle is used in this song, but unlike South African kwela, it is not a major key dance melody over a repeating chord loop. The structure of the song is more similar to the AABA verse and bridge structure in American popular music. The beginning and end of the song quote the melody of the English Chartist song, "Song of the Lower Classes", to call American and European audiences, especially on a white sections of the left, to reflect on the pathways to solidarity between workers from the colonizer states, and workers of the colonized states, through an anti-capitalist movement spearheaded by the most exploited workers with the support of all other organized workers, which completes the promises of anti-colonial struggle. All of our liberation is bound up in the liberation of the South African worker. Genre African diaspora influenced folk Comment by All These Wasted Nuts very cool. thanks for this 2021-05-31T23:47:31Z Comment by Emmett Doyle In a band setting, this could be a 4-part harmony; Windborn does a good arrangement of the song in harmonies. 2021-03-01T02:26:30Z Comment by Emmett Doyle Zabalaza means "struggle" 2021-03-01T02:25:31Z Comment by Emmett Doyle This needs a cajon beat 2021-03-01T02:24:16Z Comment by Emmett Doyle Originally I was going to record this demo on the guitar, but I'm letting my partner re-string my guitar currently, so it's on bouzouki. 2021-03-01T02:23:24Z Comment by Emmett Doyle That was the melody of Song of the Lower Classes 2021-03-01T02:22:37Z Comment by Emmett Doyle Out of tune here 2021-03-01T02:21:58Z