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World Service,2 mins

The black South African musician making a success of singing in Afrikaans

Focus on Africa

Available for over a year

Young black South African musician Refentse Morake has shot to stardom in South Africa, singing in Afrikaans. For many decades, Afrikaans - the language of the white Afrikaaners - was a symbol of the repressive regime for the black majority. When the apartheid government imposed it in black schools, it led to the famous Soweto uprising of 1976. And a year ago, a South African university had to shut down its campuses after violent protests over the use of Afrikaans as an official teaching language. Refentse Morake spoke to the Âé¶¹Éç's Taurai Maduna and explained how singing in Afrikaans has helped to bridge racial divides. (Image: South African musician Refentse Morake. Credit: Sony Music Africa)

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