Original upload date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Archive date: Mon, 29 Nov 2021 08:35:15 GMT
This snippet was taken from the 1951 release of "Cry The Beloved Country", produced by Zoltan Korda and has to be the earliest "mass released" version of the song. Can anyone come up with an earlier
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version from outside of South Africa? The Weavers (with Pete Seeger) recorded it in 1951, the same year as this movie was released, so we have to assume this was actually recorded earlier. The Token's version of the 60's isn't even in the running.
Is this Solomon Linda singing here? Is this an unrecognized "lost" recording?
Interestingly, right after the young man asks Stephen Khumalo "Where do you want to go?" and before he answers "To Sophiatown" you can clearly hear what sounds like someone whistling the first three notes of the melody of the song- An inside joke perhaps? Someone setting the key for the acapella singers?
Not that many people read these notes, but I'd like to add that this particular movie (the first from the important book of the same name) is outstanding with fine performances from both Cananda Lee in his last movie before his early death and Sidney Poitier in only his second leading role. Worth watching if you can find it.
My thanks to Florencom for the posting of Linda's original 1938 recording. I didn't ask his permission to link this, but I don't think he/she would mind.
