Bright Blue

Bright Blue is a sporadic South African band that was prominent on the progressive scene in the final years of apartheid. The band's name "reflected the paradox of being bright in a very blue time" but was also a tribute to Chelsea FC.

They are best known for the protest song "Weeping", written by keyboard-player Dan Heymann, that the band recorded incorporating strands of "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" at a time when public performance of the ANC anthem could lead to summary arrest. However, the powers that be seemed to notice neither the reference to a banned tune nor that the song was an allegory about then State President PW Botha and the state of emergency that he had imposed.

In 1999, "Weeping" was voted the "All-time favourite South African song" in a poll by SA Rock Digest/Amuzine. The Radio Rats' 1979 hit, "ZX Dan", was placed second, while "Scatterlings of Africa" (1983) by Johnny Clegg and Juluka was third.

In 2000, "Weeping" was voted the Radio 5 "song of the century".

An early forerunner of the Rainbow Nation, or crossover sound, that blends rock, pop and mbaqanga with occasional lyrics in indigenous languages, Bright Blue were contemporaries of Juluka, éVoid, Mango Groove, Johannes Kerkorrel and Kalahari Surfers.