Today's post is of one of the most important bands to exist on a world scale in my opinion, NATIONAL WAKE from the apartheid state of 1981's South Africa. They pushed forth some of the most radical music for the era, and unfortunately they don't share a prominent place in a lot of people's minds when they think of crucial alternative/punk bands. I actually haven't come across any tracks past their recent anthology 2xLP released by Light in the Attic. So I'm ecstatic that I got my hands on their original LP and am able to share it here. It was great hearing five unheard (to my ears) songs. I'm also sure they have a stockpile of demos and outtakes that still haven't seen the light of day and I hope that happens sometime soon. This record sold around 700 copies before being withdrawn by apartheid government pressure.
NATIONAL WAKE started in 1976 in Johannesburg in an apartheid designated 'whites-only' neighborhood, coinciding with the Soweto Student Uprising, a student protest against the mandate that Afrikaans was going to be the median language of instruction in public schools, and Afrikaans was seen as the language of apartheid, of oppression. This also coincided with the emergence of punk on a global scale and reggae coming to South Africa as well, which resonated with the South African experience in a profound way. They were incredibly subversive to apartheid in their mere existence in that it wasn't permitted for Blacks and Whites to socialize with each other and here NATIONAL WAKE was a mixed-race band composed of Black African Shangaan-Speaking brothers Gary and Punka Khoza and their White African counterparts Ivan Kadey and Steve Moni. Which is something that was completely illegal under apartheid. They all occupied a house together which caused their home to be raided by riot cops and under almost constant surveillance by the authorities. This all led to immense pressure to even keep the band going and felt like a war zone to the members at times.
NATIONAL WAKE effortlessly merges punk, rock, reggae, funk and African music such as Mbaqanga guitar together to create a completely unique and excellent musical experience. They participated in the first ever South African punk tour with fellow countrymen SAFARI SURFERS and WILD YOUTH, which eventually disintegrated because of the legal and logistical problems of NATIONAL WAKE being a mixed race band. The band continued to rehearse relentlessly and gig whenever possible. They also vacationed to independent Swaziland where they were able to perform sometimes and live temporarily without the paranoia that came with simply existing as a mixed-race band in South Africa. They also sought out alternative places to perform within South Africa such as the designated 'non-white' areas.
They were offered the opportunity to record through WEA international and they opted to record for a reduced rate at sessions that started after midnight in the studio. Unfortunately the release of the record only increased attention from the authorities and the pressure got to all members, which led to the band to dissolve. I highly recommend tracking down the anthology 2xLP released by Light in the Attic, it's amazing and well worth any price to hear those songs.
1 Dreams In My Head
2 Time And Place
3 Bolina
4 Xighangu Xamina
5 Kalabash
6 Wake Of The Nation
7 Supaman
8 International News
9 Student Life (Another Kind Of Blues)
10 Mercenaries
dl link:
National Wake!
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