VII. Conclusion

In the poem “I am a rebel and freedom is my cause,” Brutus writes (Brutus, "Stubborn Hope" 95):

My cause is a dream of freedom
and you must help me make my dream reality:
…
Let us work together that my dream may be fulfilled
that I may return with my people out of exile

As discussed, Brutus asks through his poetry for people to join in the struggle to weaken apartheid. Supporting each other, South African exiled poets and musicians use their medium of work to publicize and recruit support for the antiapartheid cause. Music’s importance lies in its ability to evidence to a large audience the passion present in the fight. In “Today in prison,” Brutus writes that the prisoners will “sing just one song: / Nkosi Sikekela /…seeking…those who will do the much / that still needs to be done” (Brutus 109). During the Graceland Tour, the performance always closed with “Nkosi Sikekela” (Makeba 199). Makeba and Masekela provided a vocal and dynamic aspect to Brutus’ words. Through their songs and influence, the musicians fulfilled one need which was to make the cause for freedom more accessible to the global population. They used their talents to introduce South African culture to American and international culture, and this correspondingly allowed them to spread the driving goal of their music. Their work and its affects agree with Brutus' statement that "exile is not amputation" (Brutus, "Stubborn Hope" 93). By refusing to become separated from their homeland, Makeba and Masekela, as did the South African exiled poets, overcame the loss by using their situation to advance the campaign for South Africa's freedom.