The wind will blow it higher: “Biko”
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More songs of Stephen Biko
In discussing Peter Gabriel’s “Biko,” I don’t want to lose sight of the multiple ways Biko’s legacy inspired artists. That Gabriel’s song was most prominent, especially among a particular demographic swath of music fans, does not mean it was the best. The songs below are also “outsider” songs to greater or lesser extent, but all sincere attempts to voice solidarity with that struggle and be artistic stewards of Biko’s contributions and sacrifice. This will not be a comprehensive list by any means.
“The Death of Stephen Biko,” Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton recorded “The Death of Stephen Biko” not long after Steve Biko’s death. The song appears on Paxton’s Heroes album (1978) and is a proper ballad. It is far grittier and detailed about Biko’s torture than the song Gabriel later crafted, but comparably powerful.
You can listen to a later arrangement of the song here, taken from the Tom Paxton, Anne Hills, and Bob Gibson album Best of Friends
“A Motor-Bike in Afrika” by Peter Hammill
Hammill’s experimental pop song makes a brief mention of Steve Biko. “A Motor-Bike in Afrika” was released in 1978. Daryl Eslea’s Gabriel biography cites Hammill as denying that his song might have influenced Gabriel’s.
“Tribute to Steve Biko,” Tappa Zukie
Reggae artists Tappa Zukie recorded their elegy to Biko in 1978. Their song includes an innovative set of Beatitudes. “Blessed are…”
“Biko’s Kindred Lament,” by Steel Pulse
Continuing in the reggae vein, Steel Pulse’s 1979 track includes more storytelling, focusing in part on the government’s attempt to cover up the cause of Biko’s death.
“Biko” and “Chile Your Waters Run Red…” by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Sweet Honey in the Rock’s recording of “Biko” (1981) ties the apartheid struggle to Civil Rights struggles in the United States. It sees 10,000 Stephen Bikos.