Punk in Africa
Punk in Africa
dir. Keith Jones, Deon Maas
South Africa / Czechia, 2011 - 82
It starts with a quote, "In Africa, music cannot be for entertainment, it must be for revolution". The directors set out for the Dark Continent to prove the merit of this statement. In South Africa, the truth is discovered via punk music, which has developed against a backdrop of tempestuous social change. A detailed mapping of the growth of the punk scene - from the 1970s to present day in the cities of Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town - shows the country's rich underground life. Told in chronological order, the documentary is built around a trove of rare material and musicians' memories. It takes us to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Kenya, where punk has blended with ska, reggae, and traditional African music. The striking story of a hidden, underground, even banned movement. Bands with both black and white musicians broke the law. In the apartheid era, punk rock was comparable to worshipping the devil. Rediscover the real punk.
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