"Biko" is an anti-apartheid protest song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released by Charisma Records as a single from Gabriel's eponymous third album in 1980.
Steve Biko on a Heerlen church stained glass window
Gabriel performing in 1978
Artwork for 1987 vinyl re-release; the CD single uses the similar artwork, but the title and artist name positioned on the right side
Music in the movement against apartheid
The apartheid regime in South Africa began in 1948 and lasted until 1994. It involved a system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy, and placed all political power in the hands of a white minority. Opposition to apartheid manifested in a variety of ways, including boycotts, non-violent protests, and armed resistance. Music played a large role in the movement against apartheid within South Africa, as well as in international opposition to apartheid. The impacts of songs opposing apartheid included raising awareness, generating support for the movement against apartheid, building unity within this movement, and "presenting an alternative vision of culture in a future democratic South Africa."
South African singer Miriam Makeba popularised a number of songs that protested apartheid.
Singer Dorothy Masuka (pictured here in 2015), who wrote "uDr. Malan Unomthetho Onzima" (Dr. Malan's Government is Harsh)
A painting of the Sharpeville Massacre of March 1960
Jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (pictured here in 2011) composed "Mannenberg", an instrumental piece that invoked themes of freedom and cultural identity.