"Shosholoza" is an Nguni song that was sung by gold miners in South Africa. It is a mix of Zulu and Ndebele words, and can have various other South African languages thrown in depending on the singers. It was sung by all-male African workers that were performing rhythmical manual labour 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.
History
"Shosholoza" is a traditional miner's song, originally sung by groups of men from the Ndebele ethnic group that travelled by steam train from their homes in Zimbabwe (formerly known as Rhodesia) to work in South Africa's diamond and gold mines. The Ndebele live predominantly in Zimbabwe near its border with South Africa. The song uses Ndebele words and is Zimbabwean in origin even though the Zulu and Zimbabwean Ndebele ethnic groups are very similar (see Nguni languages). The song was sung by working miners in time with the rhythm of swinging their axes to dig. It was usually sung under hardship in call and response style (one man singing a solo line and the rest of the group responding by copying him).
In contemporary times, it is used in varied contexts in South Africa to show solidarity in sporting events and other national events to relay the message that the players are not alone and are part of a team.
Climate activists made the song the centrepiece of their Occupy COP17 rally on 9 December 2011, the final day of the United Nations climate treaty negotiations. Activists were calling on negotiators to "Stand With Africa" and agree to a legally binding and effective treaty.
Meaning
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 "tshotsholoza!" 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).
Pop culture references
The song is also used in pop culture to convey messages of hope and solidarity for athletes during competitions or in other times of hardship and distress.
Recordings
The song has been recorded by a variety of artists, including Pete Seeger, John Edmond, Helmut Lotti, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, PJ Powers, Soweto Gospel Choir, Peter Gabriel (as the B-side of his single "Biko"), Sérgio Dias and Drakensberg Boys' Choir, as well as being a standard of most gumboots bands,
Lyrics
The lyrics of the song vary, as do the transcriptions. In the older traditional styles, the words translate to "train from Rhodesia".