Students in Mr. Lopez’s Popular Culture and Global Politics were asked to identify songs that either reflected, initiated, or supported a resistance movement of one kind or another. This might be resistance against the formal expression of power (against policies, institutions, governments, armies, etc) or against more informal expressions of power (for example, racism, gender discrimination, etc…). Here’s what they came up with—we hope you enjoy. This will be posted in two installments, on May 15th and May 22 respectively.
- Cameron Dixon – In 1897, Enoch Sontonga, a black South African choirmaster and teacher at a Methodist school near Johannesburg composed the song “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”. Although its initial intention was to solely be played during religious practices, the purpose of the song eventually changed. At the beginning of the 20th century, South African political groups, as well as other nations, adopted the song as a means of political protest music in response to racial segregation and discrimination present in their country.
- Lewis Bobrow – During the Tiananmen Square protests, The Internationale served as a tactic for peaceful unification. The lyrics to the song brilliantly sum the movement up: “But soon, the soldiers in formation / Will break ranks and fight no more” (See Appendix).
- Nicholas Lam – The song Señor Matanza by the band Mano Negra explores the troubles of Latin America, specifically Colombia highlighting oppressive rulership, drug cartels, and violence related to them. Manu Chao, the lead singer, is a social activist who is against bad leaders, violence, and social inequality.
- Jared Ticktin – The song “Beds Are Burning” (1987) by Midnight Oil brings awareness to the injustices faced by indigenous groups in Australia. The song specifically references how the Australian government forcibly removed the Pintupi group from the Western Desert in the mid-1900’s in order to clear land for missile testing.
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Tanima Joshi – Keny Arkana is a Argentine-French rapper whose art is most prominent in the city of Marseilles, France. Her work reflects a sense of struggle for citizenship and identity in France, challenges the effects of globalization and expresses a common feeling of anger toward the inequality of France’s economic systems, which continue to widen the gap between rich and poor. In Keny Arkana’s song “Nettoyage au karcher,” or “Cleaning with a Karcher,” she responds to the 2005 Period of Riots that occurred in the suburbs or banlieues of Paris, and to other controversial event’s in France including statements made by French politician at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy (who went on to become France’s president).
- Nate Joseph – Bob Marley’s “War” speaks out against the institutionalized oppression that ran rampant in Jamaica through identifying the racist and classist mentality at the heart of Jamaican society. The song exemplifies music’s power to popularize important figures and spread distinct messages (in this case Emperor Haile Selassie and a message of equality) to diverse communities.
- Amie Baumgartner – “Declare Independence” by Icelandic pop punk-rock artist Björk encourages nations to reject colonization and fight for their independence. Through the song’s provocative lyrics and powerful music video, Björk exemplifies how pop music can have an impact on resistance movements around the world.
- Xiomara Grande Meza – Uniting its audiences internationally with music, the band Pescozada is successful in breaking down the social structures established centuries ago in El Salvador, with a modern take on both the resistance of spanish colonization and the current oppressive right-wing government.
- Max Austin – Glad to be Gay by Tom Robinson was one of the first songs fighting for gay rights in the UK. Released 10 years after homosexuality was made legal in England, it’s combative lyrics and powerful message forced listeners of the time to consider the ethicality of the negative portrayal of homosexuality at the time. This song showed the straight public that, although homosexuality was no longer a crime, the gay community was still demanding equal rights.
- Eric Garcia – Mao Zedong’s “The East is Red” played an instrumental role in the Chinese Communist Party’s rise to political success in the 1960’s. The song exemplified the way in which popular culture can be imposed by individuals in power, rather than directly from the people.
- Jake Lenett – Paul McCartney’s “Give Ireland Back to the Irish” was successful in contributing to Irish resistance against the British government. It was successful because it was a well-timed and widespread song, despite its unspectacular sound. What was meant to be an emotional, prompt response to Bloody Sunday, an event in which British paratroopers slaughtered 13 unarmed protesters in Northern Ireland, ended up serving as a beacon of hope for the hopeless people traumatized by the events preceding.
- Blythe Engel – “Asimbonanga” by Johnny Clegg opposed the censorship that the apartheid regime enforced from 1948-1994, specifically related to the suppression of Nelson Mandela’s image. The song was quickly banned after its release, as it directly addressed issues that the government did not want talked about. Although it was banned, it became a underground hit and gave South Africans the relationship with Mandela that was barred from them and a way to express their thoughts without violent fighting.
- Lauren Chu – Honhnii Duu, The Ring of The Bell, was the song that brought Mongolian pro-democracy supporters to Chinggis Square, the center of Mongolia’s capital, to protest the Soviet rule in 1989. This song became very popular due to the many Mongolian commoners who identified with the band Hongk’s hopeful lyrics, with versions still being made today. Successfully rallying supporters, Mongolian gained their own legislature and constitution in 1990.
- Dylan Drummer – Stevie Wonder’s “It’s Wrong (Apartheid)” condemns apartheid in South Africa. Heavily influenced by African musical traditions and the Zulu language, the song calls for justice against the discriminatory policies of the government. It was banned by the South African government as an attempt to quell efforts of resistance.
- Coco Sachs – Stromae’s music provides perspective on issues ranging from estranged fathers to financial crisis, yet one of his most major contributions was through his 2013 release of “Humain à L’eau.” Translating to “Human overboard,” Stromae addresses the lens through which the first world views the value of other countries, attacking the neo-colonialist relationship this creates and also revealing the impact this may with an electronic beat and aggressive lyrics.
- Jane Lie – “99 Luftballons” or “99 Red Balloons” is a 1983 anti-war protest song by the German band Nena that speaks to the paranoia surrounding the issue of Cold War, especially in Germany. When 99 balloons show up on the radar as unidentified objects, both sides perceive it as nuclear attack, when in fact it is the most childlike of things — a bunch of balloons—, illustrating how the smallest misunderstanding can trigger a major catastrophy.
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Joe O’Connell – The band U2 wrote this song, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” in 1982, with lyrics that protested the events of Bloody Sunday. Rising to the top of the charts, the song’s success spread the messages of anti-violence and tolerance.” Its large impact is a lens through which we can see how important protest songs are in bolstering or even creating a political resistance movement.
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Arjun Shah – Sayyad – صياد by Chyno. In the song, Chyno takes the character of a recruiter of an extremist group, as he tries to entice a young man into “Jihad”. This song was a part of a larger EP called The Misled which was created by a group of Lebanese rappers who came together to fight radicalism through hip hop. A lot of research went into creating the songs, included interviewing people linked to terrorist groups and psychologists and experts the focus on extremism.
