The Toyi-Toyi
Link to the dance:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGs4mRObEio
Toyi-Toyi Playlist:https://open.spotify.com/track/2hKPU03v1fWgLPq4pL9gne
The video explained how when the police system was being unjust and treating the citizens badly they came up with a dance that expressed their feelings. The name of the type of dancing they do is called Toyi-Toyi. The dance Toyi-toyi is a Southern African dance used in political protests in South Africa. Toyi-toyi could begin as the stomping of feet and spontaneous chanting during protests that could include political slogans or songs, either improvised or previously created. The dance was often used for intimidating the South African police and security forces during anti-apartheid demonstrations. The toyi-toyi was also used with chants such as the African National Congress’s “Amandla”. From research it said Under apartheid’s repression, musicians found their voice and used their music to transmit messages of solidarity with the imprisoned Nelson Mandela. Apartheid is segregation on grounds other than race. From research it said racial segregation. specifically : a former policy of segregation and political, social, and economic discrimination against the non white majority in the Republic of South Africa. As of recently after the Apartheid ended many years ago, the people of South Africa started to use toyi-toyi to express their grievances against the current government policies. Use of the dance has become very popular during recent service delivery protests and among trade unions. The Anti-Privatization Forum has come out with a CD that they see as a compilation of music specially for toyi-toying. An artist named Miriam Makeba was one of the originators when it comes to the toyi-toyi. Not only did she make music with the certain beats that allowed people to do the dance but she would also discuss the pain, and trauma her, and the people are going through. The dance was a way for people to let out all of the anger they had with their country and their police system. It was also a way for them to escape to another place and for a split second forget about what was going on in the world around them. I would compare it to shouting when u talk about the significance of it and what it resembles and means to people who do it.