"Gimme Hope Jo'anna" is a Britishanti-apartheid song written and originally released byGuyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalistEddy Grant in 1988, during the apartheid era in South Africa. The song was banned by the South African government when it was released, but was widely played there nonetheless.[2] It reached number seven on theUK Singles Chart, becoming Grant's firstBritish top 10 hit for five years.[3]
Eddy Grant is aGuyanese-British singer.[2] He had chart hits in the 1980s, his most recent one prior to this single in 1984. "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" was targeted at the South AfricanapartheidNational Party government and apartheid culture after Grant had visited Africa.[2] It included several references to South African culture. The song ends on an optimistic note of hope that the apartheid system would end soon, which it ultimately did in 1991.[4] The song was Grant's first release in over a year.[5]
"Gimme Hope Jo'anna" was not originally envisaged to become a hit.[6] The song gained international attention and charted at number 7 in the UK Singles Charts and at number 1 in a number of European countries.[6] It did not chart in the United States.[6] It gained widespread popularity in the United Kingdom.[7] The National Party government banned the song in South Africa upon release.[8]
Though the lyrics are worded as if the singer is addressing a person, "Jo'anna" is a reference toJohannesburg, the largest city in South Africa and symbolic of the apartheid government.[9] "The preacher who works for Jesus, the Archbishop who's a peaceful man" is a reference to theAnglican Archbishop of Cape TownDesmond Tutu, who received the 1984Nobel Peace Prize for his fight against apartheid.[10] The song referencesDurban,Soweto, theProvince of the Transvaal,[10] and was declared as the "national anthem ofMitchells Plain".[11] It expressed hope for change in South Africa.[12]
Bill Coleman fromBillboard described the song as "sprightly pop with a meaningfulanti-apartheid message".[13] Kate Davies fromNumber One noted that here, "he's taken the exquisite flavour of southern African music and shaped it into a bouncy song which no one will be able to hear without singing along to. Listen carefully to the lyrics—thought provoking stuff."[1] Its inclusion on Grant's 1990 album,Barefoot Soldier, was considered byPensacola News Journal as a good song on a "pedestrian" album.[14] Roger Morton fromRecord Mirror wrote, "Eddy is still proving that he's got balls by re-entering the pop fray with an anti-apartheid single ('Jo'Anna' as inJohannesburg) which will no doubt be considered 'too political' by radio. Seek it out then, for as well as being right-on-brother it's a grinning piece of Afro-dance blessed as ever with Sir Edmond's infectious pop touch."[15] The song was Grant's last major hit to date.
It was sung at anAfrican National Congress (ANC) rally atGreen Point Stadium inCape Town before the1994 South African general election, despite the ANC DJ attempting to get people to sing other peace hymns.[11] TheNational Party used it during their campaign for the1994 South African general election, despite having previously banned it.[16] In 2008 Grant was invited to perform the song at theNelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute, held inHyde Park, London, Grant's first live stage performance for twenty years.[2][17] He said that though the lyrics were outdated for their original meaning, they were still relevant due to cases of black South Africans attacking black Zimbabwean immigrants in theAlexandra township.[2] Later in the year, he was invited to perform the song inHindi for the final of theIndian Premier League cricket tournament.[18] In 2021, Grant said that "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" was the song he was the most proud of due to its widespread recognition and that people understood what it was about.[17] A reviewer inThe Age said the song was "possibly the most appealing anti-apartheid song sinceThe Special AKA's "Free Nelson Mandela".[19] On release,The Guardian said it "promises moderately well" and that "it's not quiteElectric Avenue", Grant's earlier release, "but he can still bash out a good tune".[5]
In 2004,McCann-Erickson adopted a version of "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" as an advertising jingle forYoplait'sYop yoghurt drink in the United Kingdom, adapted to "Gimme Yop, Me Mama", sung with Jamaican accents.[20][21][22] There was criticism for Grant allowing his song to be used in such a way, withThe Telegraph saying it had been "bastardised".[2]The Guardian stated they felt some might find it inappropriate that an anti-apartheid anthem had been appropriated to sell yoghurts but acknowledged the main reason for the song was no longer relevant.[23] One reporter theorized that Grant may have used the money from the campaign to help bolster his ongoing mentorship of Caribbean musicians under his record labelIce Records.[2] Grant stated in 2018 it was easier to gain money from advertising than from record sales in modern times.[24] The company later used the same advert in Canada.[25]
