RESOURCE - Ubuntu Network

MUSIC FOR CHANGE
RESOURCE
ISSUE 11
In association with
Supporting the United Nations Decade for Education
for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
ISSN 1176-9467
Inside this issue
03
Get Up! Stand Up!
04
The Power of Song
06
Global Voices – Local Dissidence
08
Censorship, Corporations and Change
10
I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!
12
Celebrity Showboys
14
Moerewa – A Case Study
16
Hip Hop Dreams
17
Save The Children
18
Take Action... ‘The Next’
19
Useful Resources and Websites
Global Education in the Community
Starts from people’s experiences and encourages
their personal, social and political development.
Works on the principles of non-formal education
and offers opportunities that are educative,
participative, empowering and designed to
promote equality of opportunity.
Is based on an agenda that has been negotiated
with the relevant community.
Engages the community in critical analyses of
local and global influences on their lives and
their larger communities.
Raises awareness of globalisation within
an historic context, and encourages an
understanding and appreciation of diversity
locally and globally.
Encourages an insight into the relationships
and links between the personal, the local and
the global and ensures that these are based on
equity and justice.
Insists that the peoples and organisations of the
North and South are seen as equal partners for
change in an interdependent world.
Encourages active citizenship by giving people
the opportunity to participate in actions, and
build alliances, that seek to bring about change
locally and globally.
02
Global Bits is printed three times a year providing
information and ideas for exploring global issues
and how they impact on communities in both
Aotearoa New Zealand and all around the world.
Its accompanying poster contains additional
activities suitable for use by youth workers and
other community educators.
About the theme
of this issue
Ever since the first humans gave voice
to their thoughts, they have used song
to help make sense of the world and
events unfolding around them. Protest
songs form a central part of our global
social commentary – whether railing at
the horrors of war, the injustices
of racism or the fallout of
September 11th.
The best music for change has the
power to stir the heartstrings like
no other medium – and provides a
powerful rallying point for those
who unite to fight for justice in an
unjust world.
With this spirit in mind, we are
including a copy of our multi-media
CD-Rom The Next – which contains
research looking at Hip Hop culture
from three perspectives, plus a
substantial resource that provides
a sound understanding of Hip Hop
culture: how it empowers young and
old alike, and how it can be used to
engage people in an exploration of the
world around them.
Global Bits is free to community educators
and all others with an interest in global
issues. If you would like to order a larger amount
This issue is produced in partnership
with Save The Children – a nonpolitical, non-sectarian development
agency that delivers immediate and
lasting improvements to children’s lives
worldwide.
of any issue, please contact the Global Education
Centre. Nominal charges may apply to help cover
production costs.
Acknowledgements and
Special Thanks:
Copyright@Global Education Centre 2007
Parts of this publication may be copied and distributed for education
purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged. No part
of this publication may be reproduced, in any form, for commercial
purposes without the prior permission of the Global Education Centre.
Contact Us
Global Education Centre, (GEC)
Level 2, James Smith Building, 55 Cuba Street
P.O. Box 12440, Wellington
Aotearoa New Zealand
Phone: 04 472 9549
Fax: 04 496 9599
Email: [email protected]
www.globaled.org.nz
Services offered by GEC
Lending Library
Publications
Factsheets
Resource Kits
Training Workshops
Writer: Mandy Hager
Contributions: With special thanks to Save
The Children; Sonya Hogan; New Internationalist
Magazine; Ngahau Davis; Rock and Rap Archives;
Stephen Smith-Said; Jim Lesses; Alexis Pretridis;
Public Broadcasting Service; TakingItGlobal; Guardian
Unlimited; The Next; Adam Ma’anit; FrontPage
Publicity; PETA; Wikipedia; www.topptwins.co.nz;
www.tutorgig.com; http://arts.guardian.co.uk; http://
folmusic.about.com; W. Shaw; Dr. K Zemke-White;
Righteous Babe records
Cover design: Richard Seyb
Design: The Church
Typesetting: Toolbox Imaging
Printing: Theprintroom
First published: March 2007
The views expressed by contributors to this magazine are
not necessarily the views of the Global Education Centre.
Copyright has been acknowledged where possible, and every
attempt made to seek reproduction permission. If you have any
concerns, please contact us. © Global Bits 2007
KEY CONCEPTS:
Get Up! Stand Up!
Historic Roots
Music as Protest
Since the early 20th century, musicians have come together in the name of
“human
rights to fight war, hunger, corruption, oppression, AIDS, apartheid, and
“Chances are you’re likely
Third World debt. From single songs passed by word of mouth to star-studded,
to some, whoever and
multimillion-dollar benefits, activists from Joe Hill to Bob Geldof have spoken up by
wherever you might be!”
to be tapping your toes
singing out, drawing together disparate groups of people with unforgettable verse
”
and universal harmony...
www.pbs.org/getupstandup
Five hundred years before the birth of Christ,
the Confucian text Shi Jing recorded the existence
of political songs that protested against heavy
taxation. This should come as no surprise...ever
since human beings placed meaning on the sounds
they made, the first song makers forged songs to
help make sense of the world around them.
Throughout the centuries, music and song have
continued to provide a framework for social
commentary, whether it be in the form of monks
in Tudor England slyly changing the words of Latin
chants into coded protest, Verdi’s operas Nabucco
and I Lombardi Alla Prima Crociata (from the
1840s) containing political overtones that were
popular with an Italian audience whose country
struggled for unification, or songs about war that
are as old as war itself (such as the ancient Arrow
Dance of the Navaho.)
So when a song like Bob Marley’s Get up, Stand up
hits the radio waves, it isn’t that the idea is new,
or the lyrics and music completely novel – but the
song’s simple, powerful words and urgent reggae
beat make it a winner. It’s an anthem that rouses
For instance, in Venezuela a state-backed
national youth orchestra and choir has led to the
strengthening of family and community bonds,
and an opportunity for those at the lowest end of
the economic ladder to experience the benefits of
teamwork, dedication, discipline and success1a. And
the aspirational opportunities Hip Hop provides for
young people all around the world is further proof
of the empowering magic of music.
Meanwhile, songwriters Stephen Smith-Said and
Billy Bragg, insist that “the modern “broadside”–
the protest song that actually has political effect
because of its timely ability to affect public opinion
– is the free mp3 ...’ 2
people to consider a solution to their troubles, to
get started on the road to freedom.1
However, it’s not just lyrics that can empower and
inspire potential change-makers around the world.
The mere act of making music has also been used
as a pathway to positive change.
So where is protest music to be found in today’s
world? It’s everywhere! It’s in the schools, on your
TV screens or Ipods, in your local clubs and street
corners, on the Internet... and chances are you’re
likely to be tapping your toes to some, whoever and
wherever you might be!
Music can form a vital service in a society with
limited opportunities for social and economic
advancement.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Music involves an infinite number of possibilities for human beings to express themselves. Lyrics can
bring detailed messages of love, hate, fear, violence, etc.
A melody in itself can communicate joy, hope, sorrow, a dramatic event, a special mood or a sound
image of everyday life. All of these different expressions fall under the protection of the freedom of
expression in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19.
In a judgement from The European Court of Human Rights in1988, the Court observed that “Those
who create, perform, distribute or exhibit works of art contribute to the exchange of ideas and
opinions which is essential for a democratic society. Hence the obligation on the State not to encroach
unduly on their freedom of expression”.
1
Ed Ward, Revolutionary Music: Get Up Stand Up, Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Inc. 2005
1a
see http://www.iadb.org/idbamerica/Archive/stories/1998/eng/e398k.htm
2
Stephan Smith-Said, Why Neil Young Is Wrong, The Progressive, July 2006 Issue. Smith-Said is an Iraqi American songwriter whose single, “Another World Is Possible,” has been released for free at his
website www.stephansmith.com.
Other Sources: ‘Some Thoughts on Political Songwriting’, Jim Lesses; “So Colin Powell, What’s your favourite song?” Alexis Pretridis, The Guardian 19.07.2002
03
The Irrefutable
Power of Song
Truth
Writer Victor Hugo once said “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” Music
is never simply about noise: it is the sound of a society, of a time, of a place. It articulates the ideas and emotions that are too
strong for words – and in the singer’s refusal to remain silent, music becomes the power to speak out and work for change.
A Man’s a Man,
Robert Burns
Robert Burns, described
as Scotland’s national
poet, wrote this now
famous expression of
egalitarian ideas in 1795.
It was sung at the opening
of the Scottish Parliament on July 1 1999, and
is sometimes associated with ideas of Scottish
independence. That man to man the warld o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that…
Arise, Arise! Shake Off
Your Chains!
Some of the earliest protest
songs acknowledged in the
USA were by and about
slaves. Many took the form
of religious hymns (such as We Shall Be Free and
Steal Away) but in 1813, a secret slave organisation
in South Carolina began to open and close their
meetings with this song. Arise, arise! Shake off
your chains! Your cause is just, so Heaven ordains,
To you shall freedom be proclaimed…
The Internationale,
Eugene Pottier
L’Internationale is the most
famous socialist song and
one of the most widely
recognised songs in the
world. The original French
words were written in
1870 by Eugène Pottier
(later a member of the
Paris Commune) and were originally intended to be
sung to the tune of La Marseillaise. Pierre Degeyter
set the poem to music in 1888 and his melody
became widely used soon after. Arise ye workers
[starvelings] from your slumbers, Arise ye prisoners
of want, For reason in revolt now thunders, And at
last ends the age of cant…
The Suffrage Song, Julia
Ward How
Using the tune of ‘God
Save The Queen’, this song
was penned to highlight
the women’s suffrage
movement (to give women
the vote). My country ‘tis
for thee, To make your
women free,
04
This is our plea. High have our hopes been raised, In
these enlightened days, That for her justice, praised,
Our land may be…
Bread and Roses,
James Oppenheim
The 1890’s saw workers
calling for unions and an
improvement of workers
rights and conditions,
and protest movements
worldwide took up this
song as their anthem. It
originated as a poem by
James Oppenheim. As we go marching, marching,
Unnumbered women dead, Go crying through our
singing, Their ancient call for bread…
Nkosi Sikele Africa,
Enoch Sontonga
(God Bless Africa) Sung for
many years during the antiapartheid struggle, Nkosi
Sikele Africa was written in
1897 and officially adopted
by the African National
Congress (anti-apartheid
group and later a political
movement) in 1925. When South Africa became a
democracy in 1994, the song was adopted as the
national anthem. Lord, bless Africa, May her spirit
rise high up, Hear thou our prayers, Lord bless us…
We Shall Overcome,
Charles Tindley
Quite possibly the most
universally known anthem
for protest, the lyrics were
derived from Charles
Tindley’s gospel song ‘I’ll
Overcome Some Day’ (1900). We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, We shall overcome some
day, Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We shall
overcome some day…
The Preacher and the
Slave, Joe Hill
Joe Hill was one of the
most influential protest
singers in US history.
Written in 1911, this song
was an attack on the
Salvation Army who, in
Hill’s analysis, promised
nothing more substantial
than “pie in the sky when you die”. Workingmen
of all countries, unite, Side by side we for freedom
will fight, When the world and it’s wealth we have
gained, To the grafters we’ll sing this refrain…
Which Side Are You On?
Florence Reece
Written in the 1930s by an
outraged miner’s wife, this
song commemorates the
workers of Harlan County,
Kentucky, and the most
drawn-out and bloody labour dispute in American
history. It has since been rewritten by Billy Bragg
among many others, and remains one of the alltime classic protest songs. Don’t scab for the bosses,
Don’t listen to their lies, Us poor folks haven’t got a
chance, Unless we organise…
Strange Fruit, Abel
Meeropol
This powerful political
song, most famously
performed by Billie Holiday,
condemns American
racism, particularly the
practice of lynching and
burning African Americans
that was prevalent in
the South at the time. It was written by Abel
Meeropol (a Jewish communist schoolteacher) and
the “strange fruit” refer to the lynched victims of
racism, hanging from trees across the American
South. Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood
on the leaves and blood at the root, Black body
swinging in the Southern breeze, Strange fruit
hanging from the poplar trees…
Brother Can You Spare
A Dime, Woody Guthrie
One of the great political
balladeers of all time,
Guthrie worked his way
across Depression-scarred
USA and wrote his collection
‘Dust Bowl Ballads’ (1940).
This song topped the music
charts at the time, voicing the pain many people
were facing. Guthrie’s son Arlo went on to write the
classic 1960’s Alices Restaurant, a bitingly satirical,
wryly deadpan protest against the Vietnam War
draft and widespread anti-hippie prejudice. They
used to tell me I was building a dream, With peace
and glory ahead, Why should I be standing in line,
Just waiting for bread…
KEY CONCEPTS:
Historical Overview
Articulating Ideas
Timeline Snapshots
Say It Loud – I’m Black
and I’m Proud,
James Brown
This 1968 recording is
notable both as one
of ‘The Godfather of
Soul’s’ signature songs and one of the most
popular “black power” anthems of the 1960s.
Brown’s political involvement went way beyond
songwriting: in 1965 he broadcast a televised
concert in an effort to keep the public from rioting
after the assassination of Malcolm X. Now we
demand a chance to do things for ourself, We’re
tired of beatin’ our head against the wall, And
workin’ for someone else…
Zanan Barpa (Arise Oh
Women), RAWA
This song is the anthem of
RAWA, the Revolutionary
Association of the Women
of Afghanistan – despite
music having been banned
under the Taliban regime.
RAWA was established
in Kabul, Afghanistan, in
1977 as an independent
political/social organisation of Afghan women
fighting for human rights and for social justice in
Afghanistan. Arise Oh women as a flood, Against
the enemies, The flag of our freedom, With
democracy as its emblem, Is shining like a burning
sun, In this burnt land…
Neutral and Nuclear
Free, Shona Laing
What Would You Do?
Paris
Outspoken rapper Paris
wrote this track, taken from
his album Sonic Jihad in
response to September 11.
I see a message from the government, like every
day, I watch it, and listen, and call ‘em all suckas’,
They warnin’ me about Osama or whatever, Picture
me buyin’ this scam I said “never”…
The Enron Song, The
Fifth Amendments
Bill Parsons and fellow
musicians Eric Weinberg
and Barry Gordemer
penned this ditty after
presidential pal and former
Enron CEO Kenneth Lay “took the fifth” and
refused to testify to Congress about his involvement
in crooked energy company Enron. I bought it on a
Monday, twenty bucks a share, The Enron-ron-ron,
the Enron-ron, Now it’s down to twenty cents, and
going south from there, The Enron-ron-ron,
The Enron-ron…
The Price Of Oil,
Billy Bragg
The USA’s 2001 ‘War On
Terror’ and subsequent 2003
invasion of Iraq sparked
large anti-war protests all
around the world, and
also saw a rash of new
protest songs, both for and
against the military action. Billy Bragg, in his 2002
song, expressed the thoughts of many who saw the
conflict as closely linked to the fight for control of
oil reserves. It’s all about the price of oil, don’t give
me no shit, about blood, sweat, tears and toil, it’s all
about the price of oil…
Sources: From Music and Social Change TakingItGlobal
www.takingitglobal.org; Guardian Unlimited, Rebel Songs; The Next,
www.thenext.org.nz
What other current musicians can you think of that
fit into this category?
What about musicians specific to Aotearoa
New Zealand? What are some of the issues
that are being voiced?
Protests against the
Vietnam War, the 1981
Springbok Tour, and
nuclear ships visits (along
with the growing Tino Rangatiratanga movement)
gave many Mäori and Pakeha New Zealanders a
new sense of independence and identity separate
from our colonial past. I’m neutral and nuclear free,
flicked the fear out of the family, got natural friends
who are naturally, neutral and nuclear free…
Fight The Power,
Public Enemy
One of the most
important and successful
African American political
groups in the history of
Hip Hop, Public Enemy set
the standard for politically
conscious rap lyrics that provided both a political
commentary on American society and the world
as a whole. Our freedom of speech is freedom or
death, We got to fight the powers that be…
05
Global Voices – Local Dissidence
Victor Jara
Bullets of song
Chilean folksinger Victor Jara saw the ‘guitar as gun’,
firing off ‘bullets of song’ at oppressive military regimes
and in support of popular struggles. Jara would play
his songs about the plight of landless peasants and
factory workers in shanty towns, community centers
and street demonstrations.
When Salvador Allende was elected in 1970, Jara and
others joined him on stage under the banner which
read: ‘There can be no revolution without song.’ After
the military coup led by Augustus Pinochet on 11
September 1973, all music by these artists was declared
subversive and possession of such recordings led to
arrest. Jara was carried off to Santiago’s stadium where
he was held with 5,000 other ‘subversives’.
Recognised by the military officers, he was repeatedly
beaten, electrocuted and tortured, resulting in the
breaking of the bones in his hands and upper torso.
Fellow political prisoners have testified that his captors
mockingly suggested that he play guitar for them as
he lay on the ground. Defiantly, he sang part of a
song supporting the Popular Unity coalition. He was
further beaten, before being machine-gunned to
death on15 September at the age of 38.
Miriam
Makeba
Mama Afrika
As a girl in South Africa, Miriam Makeba worked as
a domestic servant for white families. By her teens she
had got involved in the progressive jazz scene and
was pursuing a singing career.
In 1960, while on tour in the US, Makeba was denied
a visa to return home for her mother’s funeral. The
white South African government then cancelled her
citizenship to punish her for speaking out against
apartheid at the United Nations. A defiant Makeba
was thrust into the position of being black South
Africa’s de facto ambassador to the Western world,
where she earned the title ‘Mama Afrika’. Her call for
an end to apartheid became increasingly powerful,
particularly after the Sharpeville massacres, and her
recordings were banned in South Africa. Her marriage
to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael (Kwame
Toure) led to harassment by FBI and CIA officials, the
cancellation of concerts by tour promoters, and
the couple were ultimately forced into exile
in Guinea.
Cui Jian
,
China s rebel
maestro
Trained as a classical musician – and former member
of the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra – Cui Jian is
best known for his courageous, openly political
music. While playing trumpet in the orchestra n the
early 1980’s, he was smitten by Western rock-androll music smuggled into the country.
Rejecting the syrupy ballads of mainstream Chinese
pop, he became notorious for writing songs which
dealt with controversial issues such as individualism
and sexuality. His song, Nothing to My Name became
a democracy movement anthem, sung by students
during the Tiananmen Square uprising. More
recently, Jian has incorporated rap styles into his
music and started singing about money-culture and
corruption. However, his album The Power of the
Powerless also reflects hope for change.
06
Dalvanius Prime
Maori King of Music
Dalvanius (Maui Carlyle/Kararai) Prime (Paraima) started singing in
dancehalls and maraes, and in 1969 he formed a band, The Fascinations,
from members of his family. They won a radio talent contest and began
touring Australasia.
Dalvanius then began to write songs aimed at providing the Mäori
community with its own pop idols and set up Maui Records, 'A Mäori
Motown'. He set up the Patea Mäori Club, and their first single 'Poi-E'
became New Zealand's biggest hit of 1984.
With its Hip Hop beats and a video of local kids breakdancing around
their marae, the song established a Polynesian Hip Hop scene that
persists throughout the South Pacific.
The Patea Mäori Club were a youth group drawn from the streets of
Patea, a town devastated by the closure of its abattoirs. They toured
the US and Britain in 1986, presenting 'Poi-E' as a fascinating blend
of musical theatre and a socio-political statement as they sang
the effect of unemployment upon their community.
KEY CONCEPTS:
Rebels and
Freedom Fighters
Dmitri
Shostakovich
Remitti
hard-drinking diva
In Algeria during the 1920’s, working-class Muslim women in the town
of Oran rejected the prevailing values of men in power and combined
street slang, French language, and popularist poetry known as chir
al-milhûn, to form a music movement which came to be known as raē.
A ra artist called Remitti drew scorn from the disapproving sheiks,
fundamentalist mujahedin and ‘liberal’ French authorities, for her
outlandish behaviour, lewd sex lyrics and her legendary drinking
abilities. Peasants and workers, however, flocked to see her and her
friends perform.
When the mid-1950’s saw Algeria steeped in anti-colonial insurrection, Remitti
and the ra revolutionaries added their repertoire of songs to the armed
struggle. But even the post-independence socialist government reacted to
raē by rounding up its musicians. Alcohol was banned, as were large raē
concerts. However, a decade later, new musicians such as Cheb Khaled took
up the mantle again, singing of injustice, poverty and corruption, making
modern raē as relevant as it was in the 1920’s and presenting the
single strongest cultural challenge to the fundamentalist Front
Islamique du Salut.
Coded subversion
The prolific Soviet composer, who spent his most creative
years under the thumb of Joseph Stalin, was at times
so liked by the Government that he won two state
prizes. However, cultural authorities were to deride his
later works as ‘anti-Soviet’. Much has been made of his
Anti-Formalist Rayok, which was widely seen to be a
covert jeer at the expense of Stalin and his cronies.
Characters in the piece mimic the speaking styles and
wordy decrees of Stalin, his chief censor Andrei Zhdanov
and others. In fact, fragments of Zhdanov’s infamous
decree against Shostakovich’s ‘bourgeois’ music are
embedded in the text. The composition of such subversive
music, even privately, would have led to certain death
had it been spotted. Shostakovich died from lung
cancer in August 1975.
Mercedes
Sosa
Voice of Latin
America
Though less of a songwriter, Mercedes Sosa has
captivated millions with her powerful and emotional
interpretations of others’ songs. Always deeply
political, Sosa was one of the founders of the Nueva
Canción (New Song) movement in Argentina.
Together with Armando Tejado Gomez and others,
she developed el nuevo canciónero – a musical
manifesto that sought to respond to ‘new agreements
and chords in the air’ and to preserve and rehabilitate
indigenous music forms (she herself is half South
American Indian.) Sosa has been referred to as ‘the
voice of a continent’. She is unflinching in her active
opposition to the Argentinean junta and her huge,
rousing voice became a symbol of the struggle against
oppression in Latin America. During a concert
performance in 1978 Sosa and much of her audience
were arrested by the Argentinean military
and she was forced into exile.
Doc Jazz
The Musical
Intifadah
Labelling the Musical Intifadah movement ‘Music for
Human Rights’, Palestinian artist and general surgeon
Doc Jazz’s website states that it ‘opposes all types of
racism, including anti-Semitism, Zionism, and other
ideologies that uphold beliefs in either superiority
or inferiority of other races.’ With his songs, Doc Jazz
aims to present a viewpoint that differs from the
usual perspective that people living in Europe, the
United States, and many other parts of the world,
are presented with through their regular news sources.
“Palestinians who paid for its [Israel’s] creation with
the total annihilation of their sovereignty are still
alive today. Most of them live in refugee camps in
the countries surrounding their homeland.”
nds of Dissent
nalist Issue 359 (Sou
; Wikipedia
ls, New Internatio
://www.docjazz.com
Sources: Music rebe
ic) August 2003; http
– the politics of mus
07
Future Shocks
Louder than the bomb…
‘I only ask God not to make me indifferent to war. It is a great monster that tramples on the poor innocence of
the people.’ (Argentinean rock musician Leon Gieco in his song, ‘Soló le Pido a Dios’).
The so-called ‘War on Terrorism’ has provoked many fence sitters to take a stand and nowhere was this more apparent than
in popular music. Some artists chimed-in to the pro-war choir. Paul McCartney indulged in patriotic chest thumping with
his song ‘Freedom’, written about the attacks of September 11: ‘I will fight, For the right, To live in freedom…’ Other
musicians, though, dared to speak out against the war.
The STOP (Stop The Oppressive Politics) movement released their track ‘Down with US’, which railed against the Bush
Administration’s penchant for warmongering rather than dealing with domestic crises. ‘When people all around us are
starving and homeless, what is Bush focused on, must be his father’s old grudges.’
The Dope Poet Society’s song, ‘War of terrorism’, challenged the moral righteousness of the war and echoed many anti-war
activists’ concerns that far more insidious motives were driving it: ‘It’s not a war on terrorism it’s a war of terrorism, The
old imperialism, You know the money is the reason. America is killing for oil not for freedom.’
Egyptian folk singer Shaaban Abdel-Rahim’s anti-war song ‘Attack on Iraq’ became a massive hit in the Arab world. ’Leave
Iraq in peace, you inspected it. It has no arms of mass destruction but they are still bombing it.’
From: New Internationalist ‘Sounds of Dissent’ Issue 359, August 2003
The Dixie Chicks Furore
Anyone who doubts the power of protest music to activate people
– either positively or negatively – need only think back to the uproar
caused by Natalie Maines of the all-female country music trio Dixie
Chicks, when she publicly criticised President George W. Bush on the eve
of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Texas-born Maines told a London audience: “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of
the United States is from Texas.”
Besides the loss of approximately half their concert audience attendance in the United States as
a result of the backlash against her remarks, former fans were encouraged to throw their CD’s
under a bulldozer, radio stations tuned out, and the women received death-threats for what
was seen by some in the Land of the Free as their unpatriotic stand.
But that is only half the story. For those less inclined to knee-jerk flag-waving, Maines was
merely voicing a concern that many others – who had neither the courage nor platform to
make themselves heard – shared in a country still reeling from the aftershock of the September
11th attacks on New York and Washington. Their 2006 single Not Ready To Make Nice struck
back at critics and, despite minimal airplay from traditional stations, the album in which the
single appeared debuted at No.1 in both the U.S. Pop and the U.S. Country album charts, and
struck gold within its first week!
And the Dixie Chicks went five for five at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb 11, 2007,
winning the big three general categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of
the Year, as well as Best Country Album and Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group.
Lead singer Natalie Maines exclaimed, as the group accepted the album of the year award,
“I think people are using their freedom of speech with all these awards. We get the message.”
08
KEY CONCEPTS:
Censorship
Manipulation
Controlling Messages
Terrorism?
Censorship and Manipulation…
The corporatisation of music…
Technology opens the doors…
In the months after the September 11th terrorist
attacks of 2001, the absence of anti-war music in
the US seemed surprising – until it came to light
that media corporations like Clear Channel and
Citadel Communications circulated ‘don’t play
lists’, including songs like John Lennon’s Imagine
and Cat Stevens’ Peacetrain. As if this was not
bizarre enough, record company executives met
with the Bush Administration (in a scene that might
have come straight from the satirical film ‘Wag The
Dog’) to discuss how to help the war on terrorism.
As a result, patriotic songs flooded the airwaves,
Arab artists were forced to cancel their US tours
and the Clear Channel financed ‘patriotic’ rallies.
What is new, however, is the corporatisation of
music – where greed for economic domination,
not political or ideological domination, manipulates
music – and the implications of this are widespread
and worrying. Controlled by a mere handful of
corporations, the global ‘entertainment industry’
has deployed an arsenal of satellite technologies,
radio, television and print advertising – all in a
sophisticated drive to sell more little round discs and
tie-in products.
Luckily for us, radical musicians continue to sing
and write music that reflects the struggles and
challenges of our times. And, one of the lovely
ironies about the focus of advertising promoting
‘bigger and better’ everything – from record sales,
jewellery and cars, to mobile technology – is that
the same technological advances that helped the
corporate music world have now progressed to the
point where the ‘little man’ can take back some of
the control.
Corporations choose to promote empty-headed
materialistic music as it is often in their economic
interest to do so. While some Afro-American
gansta rappers are demonised for their sexist
and violent lyrics, little is said about the largely
white-owned major record labels promoting them.
These companies actively cultivate misogynist,
homophobic and violent music while shutting out
radical voices who might question the system.
Why? Because radical politics don’t shift Nike
sneakers as well as gold-jewellery-jangling blingbling culture does.3
New digital technology means the cost of
recording and distributing a CD has come down
to a level many people can now afford without
‘selling their soul’. Since 1979, the cost of a piano
has tripled to an average of $2,900, while the price
of electric keyboards has fallen so much that you
can pick a good one up for under $400… a street
kid who could never afford to hire strings or horns
or who has been denied the education that would
let him write parts for those instruments, now
finds it all at his fingertips. 4
Of course, censorship and interest-group
manipulation of music is nothing new – the control
of musical messages has long been used as a
weapon in the armory of state or religious control
in countries and ideologies all around the world.
For instance:
• In Afghanistan, the Taleban banned music and
persecuted anyone suspected of making or
listening to it;
• According to an Islamic official in Somalia, music
is now banned in the country, and anyone
violating the music ban could be arrested, fined
and flogged;
At the same time, the Internet has dramatically
affected the way music is sold and marketed, to
the fury of the recording executives – and mp3
downloads may well see the final act in the return
of the control of music to the masses once again!
• the Japanese government banned jazz music in
the 1930’s and during the Second World War (as
did Germany’s Nazis);
• The Catholic Church banned son jarocho – one
of Mexico’s most politically charged musical
genres – during the 18th century on the grounds
it was immoral, and first the Spanish, then the
Mexican authorities, tried to isolate and suppress
the genre (the most famous case is son jarocho’s
signature song, ‘La Bamba’);
• Drums, long popular in Trinidad, were banned
in 1883 by British colonial rulers who feared
they would be used to send secret messages
encouraging a revolt;
• Religious leaders in Wales in the 1700’s
unsuccessfully tried to ban the triple harp. They
declared music and dancing evil and, along with
long hair, grouped them with murder and cock
fighting among the 12 deadliest sins!
3
From: Politics with Soul, Adam Ma’anit, p9, New Internationalist Magazine, Issue 359, August 2003
4
Number 40, September 1986 – ‘Rock and Rap Archives’ at http://www.rockrap.com/archiv40.html
09
I am Woman, Hear me Roar!
‘I am woman, hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore…’
In 1972 a song co-written by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton swept to No.1 on the Billboard charts. Performed by Reddy,
I am Woman went on to win a Grammy Award, sell over one million copies, and become an iconic anthem of the women’s
movement.
1972 was the same year that feminist Gloria
Steinem’s Ms. Magazine was launched in the US,
and Cleo Magazine (another ‘feminist’ publication)
started in Australia. Feminism was on the rise, and
the song not only summed up the growing strength
of women’s movements all around the world, but
also reached far beyond the so-called ‘feminists’ to
people everywhere. “It’s not just for women,” said
Reddy. “ It’s a general empowerment song about
feeling good about yourself. Believing in yourself.”
It was further catapulted towards anthem status
when the 1973 National Organisation of Women’s
annual conference in Washington DC closed their
gala entertainment night with the playing of I am
Woman. Founder of NOW, Betty Friedan, was
quoted as saying: “Suddenly women got out of
their seats and started dancing around the hotel
ballroom and joining hands in a circle that got
larger and larger until maybe a thousand of us
were dancing and singing… it was a spontaneous,
beautiful expression of the exhilaration we all felt in
those years, women really moving as women.’
The composition was the result of Reddy’s search
for a song to express her growing passion for
female empowerment. In a 2003 interview in
Australia’s Sunday Magazine5, she explained:
“I couldn’t find any songs that said what I thought
being a woman was about. I thought about all
these strong women in my family who had gotten
through the Depression and world wars and
drunken, abusive husbands. But there was nothing
in music that reflected that.”
Reddy’s own long years on stage had also fuelled
her contempt for males who belittled women.
She said “Women have always been objectified in
showbiz. I’d be the opening act for a comic and as
I was leaving the stage he’d say, ‘Yeah, take your
clothes off and wait for me in the dressing room, I’ll
be right there’. It was demeaning and humiliating
for any woman to have that happen publicly.”6
Today’s Women Warriors
In virtually every country across the globe, women
musicians are voicing their concerns over the many
pressures they and their communities are facing.
With the blitz of negative female role models
being promoted by large-scale commercial record
labels, it is reassuring to know there are alternative
5
published with the Sunday Herald Sun and Sunday Telegraph
6
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.pinkspage.com/
7
10
viewpoints out there, gaining vast audiences among those who want to hear music that ‘speaks’
specifically to them. For instance:
Pink
‘…what happened to the dreams of a girl president, She’s dancing on a video next to 50 Cent…
where, oh where, have the smart people gone?’
(STUPID GIRLS)
Although she was initially viewed as yet another face in the late-’90s crowd of teen pop acts, Pink quickly
showed signs of becoming one of the rare artists to transcend and outgrow the label. She has not only
spoken out about the “mindless epidemic of unhealthy girls out there promoting consumerism and
escapism” – most famously in her scathing song Stupid Girls – but has also used her fame to highlight
issues such as animal rights, human rights, gay and lesbian rights, AIDS, breast cancer and many other
current humanitarian and environmental campaigns.7
KEY CONCEPTS:
Female Empowerment
Stupid Girls
Untouchable Girls
Ani DiFranco
‘You might be the wrong colour, you might just be too poor, justice isn’t
something, just anyone can afford…’
(CRIME FOR CRIME)
One of her generation’s most prominent Folk pioneers, Ani started playing guitar at the
age of nine. By 15 years old she was living on her own, turning her wealth of poems
into song lyrics. She set up her own recording label to maintain control of her career and
musical direction, and has used her website to ‘share information and ideas, to suggest
places you can look for alternatives to mainstream media coverage of world events, and
to propose ways you can find and work with like-minded individuals and organisations
around the planet and in your own neighbourhood.’ 8
When asked whether songs can change people’s minds, Ani said: ‘I don’t think you could
write the perfect song and change the world. But everything contributes… as songwriters
we should be speaking up… it’s that cumulative effect that will put all of us together to
make that change.’ She went on to say, when asked about the most pressing message
that needed to be put across, that ‘from what I understand about the world, peace is not
possible without balance. And patriarchy is inherently imbalanced. I don’t think there’s
any such thing as peace within patriarchy… the feminine perspective, which sees the
world as a network of relationships, not as a hierarchy of individuals, is also essential to
understanding… an emphasis on relationship and connection is sorely needed, in our
governments and our cultures, to strike that kind of balance and shift the dynamic.’ 9
© Righteous Babe Records
birthday tribute concert in London later that year
that she was discovered by a mass global audience.
Her songs reflect a passionate commitment to truth
and justice, unswervingly focussed on issues such
as violence against women, institutionalised racism,
welfare issues, corruption, the social hypocrisy over
gun violence, and anger at those who make their
living ‘off of someone else’s sweat.’
Jools and Linda Topp – The Topp Twins
‘We’re untouchable, untouchable,
untouchable girls…’
Tracy Chapman
‘Poor people gonna rise up, and get their
share’ (TALKIN’ BOUT A REVOLUTION)
Singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman’s songs are full
of sharp observation, deeply rooted in her personal
experience of growing up poor in a working-class
community in Cleveland, Ohio. Her first album,
released in 1988, was well received, but it was not
until her appearance at Nelson Mandela’s 70th
8
The Topp Twins came of age as performers in
the early ‘80s during the heady days of political
protesting. They were very much at the forefront
of the struggle for anti-apartheid, Nuclear-Free NZ,
Mäori land rights and the Homosexual Law Reform.
As ‘out’ lesbians since 1977 (when the main press
refused to print the word), the Topp Twins have
always been visible and proud about their sexual
identity. The Twins’ ability to relate to all kinds of
people, and their gift for humour, has ensured that
this is not an issue. One of the unique qualities
of the Topp Twins is that they have successfully
crossed from the fringes to the mainstream. “The
most political stage is right now, because we are
taking a known lesbian act and we’re putting it on
primetime TV and we’re getting mums and dads
and kids to watch it”. (JOOLS TOPP)10
http://www.righteousbabe.com/
9
From: http://folkmusic.about.com/od/anidifranco/a/AniInterview_2.htm
10
From: http://www.topptwins.co.nz/Site/topp_media.asp
11
Celebrity Showboys
One of the more highly visible phenomena of recent times is the rise of celebrity involvement in global protests. From rock
stars to comedians, the glitterati have taken up the challenge of changing the world on an unprecedented scale.
BOB GELDOF
Irishman Bob Geldof rose to fame as the lead singer of the Irish band Boomtown Rats – a group closely linked to
the punk movement.
His first major charity involvement occurred in Sept. 1981, when he performed as a solo artist for Amnesty
International’s benefit concert The Secret Policeman’s Ball. The show and its spin-off albums raised considerable
money for Amnesty, and raised the public’s consciousness of human rights.
As well as his creation of Band Aid, the Live Aid concert and the more recent Live 8 concerts, he was invited
by Tony Blair to join 16 other Commissioners (the majority from Africa and many of them politicians in power)
to undertake a year-long study of Africa’s problems. They came up with two conclusions: that Africa needed
to change, to improve its governance and combat corruption, and that the rich world needed to support that
change in new ways. That meant doubling aid, delivering debt cancellation, and reforming trade rules.
In July 2006, he infuriated many Aotearoa New Zealanders by criticising our government’s foreign aid
contribution – calling it ‘shameful’ and ‘pathetic’. Winston Peters, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, responded
that Geldof failed to recognise the ‘quality’ of New Zealand aid as well as other New Zealand contributions.
Geldof’s wealth was estimated by Broadcast magazine, in 2001, to be £30 million. How much of his earnings
he donates to charity is not known.
Geldof has received many awards for his fund-raising work, including an honorary knighthood from Queen
Elizabeth II – although, because he is from the Republic of Ireland, Geldof is precluded from using the title ‘Sir’.
The Band Aid single
Band Aid II
Band Aid, a British and Irish charity, was founded
by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 in order to
raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The single
they created, Do They Know It’s Christmas?, was
released on 3 December, and went straight to No.
1 in the UK singles chart, outselling all the other
records in the chart put together. It shifted a million
copies in the first week alone. The single stayed
at No. 1 for five weeks, selling over three million
copies and becoming easily the biggest-selling
single of all time in the UK to that point – and
raising millions of pounds for famine relief.
In 1989 a new line-up, reflecting the musical climate
at the time, formed after a second famine had
struck Ethiopia. Band Aid II featured artists such as
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. Do They Know
It’s Christmas? was re-recorded and the song again
became the Christmas No. 1 in the UK charts.
The title ‘Band Aid’ (as well as a pun on the name
of the well-known brand of sticking plaster) refers
to a group of musicians working together as a
band to provide aid. Geldof chose the members
of the group on the basis of their fame – with
the single goal of cashing in on the performers’
popularity to maximise record sales. All 44
performers gave their time for free, including such
artists as Phil Collins, Sting, David Bowie and
George Michael.
12
Band Aid 20
The Band Aid 20 single was first played
simultaneously on the The Chris Moyles Show
(on BBC Radio One) and the breakfast shows on
Virgin and Capital Radio, at 8am on 16 November,
2004. The video was first broadcast in the UK
simultaneously over multiple channels, including
the five UK terrestrial channels, at 5.55pm on 18
November, 2004, with an introduction by Madonna.
British artist Damien Hirst designed an intimidating
cover for the Band Aid 20 single, featuring the grim
reaper and a starving African child. However, this
was later dropped after fears that it might scare
children.
The single was released on 29 November, 2004.
One of the new ways to buy the song, by
downloading it from the Internet, hit a problem
when Apple Computer’s iTunes Music Store initially
refused to supply it, due to their fixed-pricing policy.
A partial solution was reached after a few days,
enabling UK users to download the song at the
standard iTunes price, with Apple donating an extra
amount (equivalent to the price difference) to the
Band Aid Trust.
The CD version sold over 200,000 copies in the first
week, and became the fastest-selling single of the
year, with all money raised going toward famine
relief in the Darfur region of Sudan.
The Live Aid concert
Live Aid was a multi-venue rock concert held on July
13, 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof
and Midge Ure in order to raise funds for famine
relief in Ethiopia. Billed as the ‘global jukebox’, the
main sites for the event were Wembley Stadium,
London (attended by 72,000 people) and JFK
Stadium, Philadelphia (attended by about 90,000
KEY CONCEPTS:
Music and Charity
Online Petitions
people), with some acts performing at other
venues such as Sydney and Moscow. It was one
of the largest-scale satellite link-ups and television
broadcasts of all time: an estimated 1.5 billion
viewers, across 100 countries, watched the live
broadcast. The final figure raised by the concerts
came in at £150 million, and landed Bob Geldof
an honorary knighthood.
The Live 8 concerts
Live 8 was a series of concurrent benefit concerts
that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states
(Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the
UK and the US) and in South Africa. They were
timed to precede the G8 Conference and Summit
held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland from
6-8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th
anniversary of Live Aid. Running parallel with the
UK’s Make Poverty History campaign, the shows
planned to pressure world leaders to drop the
debt of the world’s poorest nations, increase and
improve aid, and negotiate fairer trade rules in
BONO
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known
as Bono, is the lead singer and principal lyricist
of the Irish rock band U2. Bono is also widely
known for his work as an activist in Africa.
Bono has stated he was motivated to become
involved in social and political causes after
seeing a benefit show staged for human rights
organisation Amnesty International in 1979.
Since 1999, Bono has become increasingly
involved in campaigning for debt relief and
the interest of poorer countries. Ten simultaneous
concerts were held on 2 July and one on 6 July. On
7 July the G8 leaders pledged to double 2004 levels
of aid to Africa from US$25 to US$50 billion by the
year 2010.
An enormous petition with (presently) over 38
million names is available to be signed on the
Internet. Named the “Live 8 List”, this can be
reached via http://www.live8live.com/list. Millions
of paper petitions and emails have already been
submitted.
to ring people he knew, to get a ‘major line-up of
rock and pop stars’.
Other critics say that millionaire rock stars would
make greater contribution by donating parts of
their personal fortunes – and that some of the
performers involved had been out of the public
eye and were possibly using the concert as a way
of getting back “into the spotlight”. However, it
is important to note that Live 8, unlike Live Aid,
wasn’t intended to raise money, but awareness
and political pressure. In this, it certainly did seem
to hit the mark.
Criticism of Live 8
Ian Ashbridge of Wrasse Records accused Geldof
of being “deeply patronising in organising a
concert for Africa and then not including African
artists… he wanted to tilt the world a bit in favour
of the poor and Africa, and he’s missed a golden
opportunity to do just that.” Geldof responded by
arguing he had just three weeks to pull the whole
event together, and went through his address book
raising awareness of the plight of Africa including
the AIDS pandemic.
In the past decade he has met with several
influential politicians including US President
George W. Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Paul
Martin. During a March 2002 visit to the White
House, after President Bush unveiled a $5 billion
aid package, Bono accompanied the President for
a speech on the White House lawn. He stated,
“This is an important first step, and a serious and
impressive new level of commitment. ... This must
happen urgently, because this is a crisis.” In May
of that same year, Bono took US Treasury Secretary
Paul H. O’Neill on a four-country tour of Africa.
He spoke in advance of President Bush at the
54th Annual National Prayer Breakfast, on 2
February 2006, peppering his speech with biblical
references to encourage the care of the socially and
economically depressed. His comments included a
call for an extra 1% “tithe” of the United States’
national budget.
Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa (DATA) was established
in 2002 by Bono and Bobby Shriver, along with
activists from the Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt
Campaign. DATA’s goals include eradicating
poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa, and encourages
Americans to contact senators and other
legislators and elected officials to voice their
opinions.
In early 2005, Bono, his wife Ali Hewson, and
New York-based Irish fashion designer Rogan
Gregory launched the socially conscious line
EDUN in an attempt to shift the focus in Africa
from aid to fair trade and ethical business
practices.
Product Red is another initiative begun by Bono
and Bobby Shriver to raise money for the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Bono has drawn some criticism for getting too
close to those in power and therefore running
the risk of legitimising their actions and “trying
to patent the language of poverty reduction.”
Paul Theroux has criticised him for sending
money to probable corrupt governments, while
he and the other U2 members have also been
criticised for moving part of their multi-million
euro business empire out of Ireland to minimise
their tax liability.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org , http://arts.guardian.co.uk and http://www.tutorgig.com
13
Moerewa – A Case Study
Tama tu tama ora, Tama noho tama mate
To stand is to live, to lie down is to die
Colonisation in action…
Corporate bosses…
Neo-liberalism takes hold…
Moerewa, a small town in Northland, Aotearoa
New Zealand, emerged from the relocation of
Taitokerau-wide Mäori who, by the 1940’s, were
landless. They moved into about 30 1-2 room
abandoned American transit huts, providing labour
for the local dairy factory and freezing works. This
settlement eventually became known as “Tuna
Town” – a dismal ghetto that only accentuated
Mäori poverty.
Meanwhile, the town, situated smack in the middle
of Northland, seemed destined for development as
a service industry town. With the establishment
of large corporate companies such as the Allied
Farmers Freezing Company (AFFCO), the BOI
Dairy Company, the railways and associated
businesses, the small rural town comprised of 86
percent Mäori (1996 census) and was regarded
as ‘booming’ in the 1960s and 70s – with the
freezing works benefiting from Moerewa’s cheap
labour force (many amongst them landowners
from whom AFFCO had appropriated land). Other
Mäori commuted daily from outlying districts for
employment, away from the rich cultural and
whänau structures they inherited.
While it can be argued that these were good times
for Mäori (there was employment, money, housing
and schools), the 1980’s saw major economic,
environmental and political changes that led to
the demise or radical downsizing of the industries
that had once kept the town alive. These decisions
had a major negative impact on the people of
Moerewa and for many years following this period
the township battled to survive. The once vibrant
community was soon to be known for a raft of
negative statistics – violence, crime, alcohol and
drug abuse, unemployment, youth problems, social
problems and low levels of achievement. For many,
these indicators of poor health, wellbeing, and
socio-economic status came to be regarded as the
norm – just the reality of Moerewa.
Mäori were not permitted to build on their own
land: rather, they were required by various means
to sell or swap their land, to obtain a deposit to
live elsewhere – with many shifting to Auckland
from the 1950’s onwards. In the 1960’s the Crown
agreed to allow some semi-urban Mäori housing
settlements, but many of these lacked insulation,
floor coverings, floor space, quality paint, wall
coverings, concreting, fencing, sewage and
community facilities.
The Roadshow Boys, with Ngahau Davis (right)
14
KEY CONCEPTS:
Local Initiatives
Roadshows
Tutu Productions
What’s all this got to do with music?
The Trust created a School of Passion – making use
of the technological advances of the last ten years
to create a Production House (Tutu Productions), a
radio station, computer training courses, computer
suites, video-editing suites and alternative education
opportunities.
Young people, formerly unemployed and lacking
hope, were mentored into key roles – with many
finding their ‘voice’ through the Hip Hop elements
of rap, dance and graffiti art. Strong empowering
messages of hope and aspiration started to emerge
from the town’s rangatahi, as a result of this
mentoring – and they decided to develop a ‘road
show’ to showcase the talent and messages for
others in the Northland area.
The ‘Be Who You’re Born To Be’ Roadshow
Josie performs in The Roadshow
Community motivation…
The community began to feel that much of the
assistance provided over this period was creating
dependency on Government initiatives – and that a
more holistic approach was called for. Local people
not only wanted better futures for themselves, but
also longed for a way to develop the potential of
their rangatahi (young people), who they viewed
as caught up in a cycle of deprivation. A threeday community festival was organised in 1998
– celebrating past, present, and future – as a way
to start dialogue on how to move forward. As
well, an all-day concert saw over 600 people in
attendance.
“At the time we didn’t know what community
development was, but we figured it was something
about finding out about the needs of the
community, and finding or creating services or
programmes to meet those needs.” (Moerewa local)
This grassroots development enabled the
community to move away from dealing with issues
in a superficial and adhoc manner (as had been
the case in the past) and, instead, identify and
address the root causes of deprivation. These
included welfare dependency, low self-esteem and
powerlessness.
The He Iwi Kotahi Tatou Trust was started in
the early 1980s, initially as a response to the
growing unemployment problems in Moerewa.
Youth issues were a focus in the early years, with
Trust-developed training programmes, and the
Trust has slowly transformed into an inspiring
model of community development. They now
have programmes that meet the needs of the
community, initially working in the social services
sector to offer counselling, whänau support, drug
and alcohol programmes and school programmes,
but further expanding to include the retrofitting of
local houses with insulation, assisting in the repair
of sub-standard housing, and the building of public
toilets and other community facilities.
The aim of the Be Who You’re Born To Be Road
Show was to inspire and encourage the rangatahi
of Moerewa to follow their passion and dreams to
be whoever they were born to be. The Trust helped
the rangatahi put this road show together, and it
has been a great success – not only for the rangatahi
involved in its creation, but for the many who have
attended their entertaining and thought-provoking
performances.
This is truly an example of music (and dance) being
used to empower individuals and their communities
– and to celebrate the unique identity of Moerewa
and its people.
To find out more about this great local initiative,
go to: http://www.tutu.co.nz/index.htm and
http://www.heiwi.co.nz/index.htm
JUST B U
I climbed the highest mountains, I swam the deepest seas, I fought
in the greatest of wars. Then one day I realised what I was looking
for was no further than my thumb.
by Waiaporo (E P Jones)
Source: Ngahau Davis
15
KEY CONCEPTS:
Hip Hop Dreams – “The CNN of Black People”
Collective Identity
Indigenous Voices
From its very beginnings Hip Hop has been used as a powerful voice for political and cultural messages. Called the ‘CNN
of black people’ by some, and referred to as their ‘satellite communication system’ by others, it has become a ‘cultural
virus, circulating its images, sounds, and attitudes’ throughout the world.11
Soundtrack for youth
With its roots in the African American and Latino
ghettos of the United States, the best Hip Hop is
intensely political and offers a particularly effective
outlet for indigenous communities suffering
the long term effects of poverty, racism, high
unemployment, poor housing, health, and lack of
access to educational opportunities. It has become
the language, culture and soundtrack for urbanised
youth from ‘detribalised’ origins, in a world very
different from any other period of human history.
Hip Hop is used as a tool for empowerment, with
which disenfranchised, minority, and indigenous
peoples can talk about their lives and experiences
in a positive way. For example, while Latinos,
especially Puerto Ricans, participated in mainstream
Hip Hop from its very early days, bilingual MCs
highlighted their cultural ‘influences’ in ways often
silenced in the greater US culture.
Cultural possession
At home in Aotearoa New Zealand, these examples
of cultural ‘possession’ of Hip Hop inspired many
of our most committed artists – with performers
such as Dean Hapeta (Te Kupu), producing albums
and singles that ‘offer a hardcore insight into
colonialism, resistance and power struggles’. As
a respected member of the Hip Hop community,
Hapeta’s work demands mana, tino rangatiratanga
and acknowledgement of tangata whenua – using
Hip Hop as a vehicle to express and confirm Mäori
as the indigenous people, as tangata whenua.
Pacific artists also use Hip Hop as a means to uplift
their people and foster an identity in a land that
they are not indigenous to, but have migrated to.
Although many of the words used in Hip Hop are
imported from overseas, more and more are now
drawn from Mäori and Pacific Island languages.
By using their own language, their voices reflect
their unique cultures – and speak of issues vitally
important to each group. It’s a way of re-educating
Mäori and non-Mäori about their cultural history...
a way of truly making local Hip Hop relevant for
local youth.
Around the globe
This same formula can be seen in other indigenous
cultures’ use of Hip Hop. For instance, the
indigenous peoples of Australia – Aborigines
and Torres Strait Islanders – use Hip Hop as a
tool for relaying messages about their history of
colonialism, traditional culture and the present day
issues they face. Local Knowledge, an Aboriginal
crew based in Sydney, takes the traditional
elements of American-derived Hip Hop but gives
it a local and indigenous edge. They talk about
drug and alcohol abuse and its effects on children
The same Hip Hop formula that provides a voice
for marginalised people is seen flourishing in
every corner of the globe – from Africa to Asia,
Guatemala to Germany, and Pakistan to Palestine.
At its basis is the desire by indigenous performers
to remain strong and connected to their unique
cultures.
And, while the commercialised and politically
bankrupt images seen most often on our
TV screens seem at odds with this cultural
reawakening, the artistic discussion generated by
committed and politicised artists gives a clear and
encouraging call for respect of each other’s beliefs,
backgrounds and experiences, in an attempt to
encourage people to become active, conscious
global citizens.
Hip Hop is used as a tool for empowerment, with which
disenfranchised, minority, and indigenous peoples can talk
about their lives and experiences in a positive way.
Dr Kirsten Zemke-White12, speaks about Pacific
youth joining in a ‘collective identity’, with
political and racial dimensions. She believes
‘rangatahi, or youth, use the rap genre exactly as
it was intended: as a political and aggrieved voice
of a sometimes voiceless people’.
11
From: p82 ‘Westsiders – Stories of the Boys in the Hood’, W. Shaw, Pub. Bloomsbury 2000
12
in her article ‘Rap Music and Pacific Identity in Aotearoa: Popular Music and the Politics of Opposition’
16
and the wider Aboriginal community; reaffirm
Aboriginal tribes across Australia as the true
occupiers of the land; and talk about the shameful
history of the Aboriginal people at the hands
of White Australia, in the context of the Stolen
Generation.
Save The Children
Oral traditions were once a universal way of sharing knowledge. Storytelling, song, music, poetry and dance were used
to pass on knowledge such as culture and people’s history, experiences, legends, beliefs, traditions and ways of life. The
development of the written word has transformed how humans communicate. Knowledge is now transported more widely,
often beyond its original culture. Processes such as colonisation have seen a significant change in the way people influence
each other and are able to reach each other all around the world. In some areas this has begun to take over the practice of
oral traditions as a way of sharing knowledge.
Children in Quelimane performing a song on HIV and AIDS
Peer education in Laos
Oral traditions have by no means been lost
completely. Indigenous cultures in particular retain
much within everyday practice that continues to
share understanding of history, personal origin
and belonging. In Aotearoa New Zealand,
Mäoritanga is full of oral tradition: mihi, waiata,
and haka are all used to retell family history,
explain where a person comes from, their place
and their genealogy.
using song, dance and drama as a way to reach out
to, interest and inform children and communities
they work with.
Africa, too, has a history of oral tradition
embedded in storytellers, praise poets and
musicians. Music plays a central role in
communication in a continent with limited
accessibility to reading and writing. For example,
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing the highest
inflation in the world, poor wages, shortage of
basic commodities and medicines. Zimbabwe is
an example of a country where people are using
music (traditional, western, religious) to promote
resilience, to empower, inform and promote
action on issues such as health, human rights,
good governance, participation in democracy,
education, gender and disability.
In Laos the first peer education group ever was
started through a Save the Children Youth Centre
project. A group of young peer educators were
interested in Hip Hop music and dance and came
up with the idea of using dance and music to
attract other young people to their public education
events on youth issues like reproductive health and
drug abuse. The use of Hip Hop in a conservative
society such as Lao was at first met with resistance
from adults, but when adults saw how effective it
was in attracting young people and getting them
to listen to the important messages of the peer
educators, adults then began inviting the dancers
to perform at youth focused events organised by
government departments.
Save the Children New Zealand (SCNZ)
recognises the important role oral traditions play
in countries and cultures they work within often
In Mozambique, a country racked by civil war
for much of the last 20 years prior to the peace
agreement, formal education was disrupted and the
levels of literacy are low, SCNZ has developed an
education programme on HIV and AIDS which uses
song, dance and drama to inform and educate.
Mwana anoita rombe
(a reckless child, an outcast)
Mwana anoita rombe
Mwana anoita rombe
(All)
Handina mwana anoita rombe
Ini ndaramba
Handina mwana anoita rombe
Anorova mukadzi
Anorova murume
Achirara kundhari
Anosingazive kuzvibata
Achiramba ‘Kondomu’
Handina mwana anoita rombe
(I will not have a reckless child,
an anti social child who hits his wife,
who hits her husband, sleeps in
pubs and refuses to use the condom)
Source: Sonya Hogan, SCNZ
17
Take Action
Support Freemuse
FREEMUSE – THE WORLD FORUM ON MUSIC
AND CENSORSHIP is an independent international
organisation advocating freedom of expression
for musicians and composers worldwide. It is
guided by the principles outlined in the United
Nations Declaration of Human Rights as they apply
specifically to musicians and composers.
The FREEMUSE secretariat was established in
August 2000.
Freemuse In Action
Their objectives are to:
• Document violations and discuss their effects
on music life.
• Inform media, human rights organisations and
the public.
• Support musicians in need and observe at
their trials.
• Develop a global network in support of
threatened musicians and composers.
To reach these objectives FREEMUSE initiates a
variety of activities: International campaigns for
musicians in need, informative activities, such
as press conferences and lectures, as well as
publishing reports, articles and regular newsletters.
FREEMUSE participates at several conferences,
seminars and festivals. One of the main FREEMUSE
activities are the recurring world conferences.
Your free copy of ‘The Next’… What’s it all about?
Launched in 2005 by The Global Education Centre, ‘
The Next’ is a substantial resource that utilises young
people’s interests as a process for engaging them in an
exploration of the world around them.
‘The Next’ project consists of two parts: research looking
at Hip Hop culture from three perspectives and a resource for youth workers and educators that
provides a sound understanding of Hip Hop culture and explores how Hip Hop can empower young
people.
In the process of researching, writing and producing ‘The Next’, GEC was joined by a range of different
sector groups – Hip Hop community members and non-members alike – to combine talents, beliefs,
thought processes, and a widely diverse range of knowledge and skills to truly reflect the value of Hip
Hop within our communities. The project was a living process, relying on the passions and inspirations
of those involved - with other project partners including Save The Children, Ydub, Tearaway
Magazine, Back2Basics, The Church and BaseTwo.
The purpose of the resource is to provide youth workers and educators with the information necessary
to develop a practical understanding of the history of Hip Hop and an understanding of the different
forms and elements within the genre – to be used to increase awareness about global issues that
impact on young people’s lives, both locally and globally.
It also fosters an understanding of the elements within the genre that can promote positive
development approaches to dealing with issues impacting on young people and their communities,
particularly in developing countries. It offers a unique overview and critique for exploring development
issues through a medium defined by young people, and especially those from more marginalised groups
in society.
You can join FREEMUSE as a member and
support their activities. Check out their website
at http://www.freemuse.org or
email: [email protected]
OTHER WAYS TO TAKE ACTION:
Express yourself!!
Explore non-mainstream music and its messages!
Check out WOMAD!
Create a music event to promote a message (like the Surf Aid gigs)!
Support The Parihaka International Peace Festival
An annual event celebrating leaders in Non-violence through: Music, Film, Comedy, Peace
Forum, Jamming, Tree Planting…
The Parihaka International Peace Festival celebrates the vision and example of Te Whiti o Rongomai
and Tohu Kakahi, and the openness of the people of Parihaka to advocate non-violent action in the
face of oppressive forces and daunting odds. This vision can help us forge a culture of peace and
non-violence throughout the world now and into the future. To find out more about the history
of Parihaka, check out the Global Bits issue titled Parihaka, and the Gift of Non-Violent Resistance
(you can download it from our website www.globaled.org.nz ) or visit http://www.parihaka.com/ or
contact [email protected]
18
Useful Resources and Websites
These resources and more are held in our GEC library (part of the
Development Resource Centre Library.)
Membership is free. To register, or search the catalogue, visit the library section of our website:
www.globaled.org.nz/library.html
Please contact us if you would like to receive a comprehensive listing of our youth worker and
other resources.
Books:
Sounds of dissent: the politics of music; New
Internationalist Magazine; No.359 August, 2003.
Worlds behind Music: an activity pack on
world music and development; Volunteer Service
Overseas; London; 1995.
Multimedia:
Parihaka: the art of passive resistance; Music
CD - Morrison Music trust, 2000.
Money for nothing: Behind the business of
pop music; Documentary Video; Media education
Foundation; England; 2001; This video addresses
the shrinking number of record companies in
today’s music industry, the centralisation of radio
ownership and playlists. Excellent – it features
respected contemporary musicians as role models
for independent artists. They address the difficulties
involved in maintaining independent from
corporate ownership of the music industry. Great
critical thinking.
Nga Tahi: Know the links; Documentary DVD;
Kia Kaha Productions 2003; Combining music
and images with thoughts and comprehensions:
rappers, poets and thinkers share their views
alongside free mumia rallies, the million family
march, the X1 International Poetry Festival in
Medellin, Rastafarian Nyahbingi, Aboriginal reality,
Hawaiian self-determination, Maori activism,
French rap, Cuban street music and more.
Another world is possible; Attac org; France;
2004; This CD-book package from ATTAC, the
French-born anti-globalization movement, contains
rare, unreleased or live music from artists including
Moby, Massive Attack, Asian Dub Foundation,
Manu Chao, world music stars Nitin Sawhney, Salif
Keita and Femi Kuti, reggae artists The Skatalites,
Lee Perry and Tiken Jah Fakoli. The book contains
essays in four languages from globalization
commentators Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, José
Bové, Arundhati Roy, and others.
Letter to the president: ‘the streets get
political...” DVD; QD3 Entertainment Inc.;
2004; This film takes a look at a variety of issues
affecting the urban community including the
Crack Conspiracy, censorship, racial profiling,
police brutality, poverty, prison fro profit and the
NYPD Hip Hop Task Force. By exploration of rebel
music with a cause, it examines the role that Hip
Hop culture has played in the Black Civil Rights
Movement in the USA.
http://www.docjazz.com The Musical Intifadah
is a project that brings together the music of
artists who have composed songs dealing with
the Palestinian struggle for sovereignty and
independence.
Websites:
http://arts.guardian.co.uk Guardian Unlimited’s
Arts and Entertainment pages.
http://www.thenext.org.nz The Next is about
utilising young people’s interests in Hip Hop as a
process for engaging them in an exploration of the
world around them. At the core of the project is the
desire to develop a way of engaging young people
in education processes that reflect where young
people are at. To search through the extensive links
provided by The Next resource, go to:
http://www.thenext.org.nz/the_resource/
appendices/external_links.php
http://www.savethechildren.org.nz Save
the Children is a non-political, non-sectarian
development agency that delivers immediate and
lasting improvements to children’s lives worldwide.
http://www.newint.org New Internationalist is
renowned for its radical, campaigning stance on a
range of world issues, from the cynical marketing
of babymilk in the Majority World to human rights
in Burma.
http://www.parihaka.com The Parihaka
International Peace Festival is the people’s way of
both honouring the teachings of their 19th century
leaders and moving Parihaka forward. Taking its
place back in the world of non-violent resistance,
the Parihaka International Peace Festival is the
culmination of a series of development projects
aimed at restoring Parihaka.
http://www.takingitglobal.org is an online
community that connects youth to find inspiration,
access information, get involved, and take action in
their local and global communities.
http://www.live8live.com/list Online petition.
http://rockrap.com Rock and Rap Archives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Online
encyclopaedia.
http://pinkspage.com Official Pink website.
http://www.peta.org People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals website.
http://www.righteousbabe.com/ani/index.asp
Official Ani difranco website.
http://www.topptwins.co.nz The Topp Twins
official website.
http://www.tutorgig.com/encyclopedia/index.
html Online encyclopaedia.
http://www.tutu.co.nz Site for the Be Who
You’re Born To Be Roadshow.
http://www.freemuse.org THE WORLD FORUM
ON MUSIC AND CENSORSHIP is an independent
international organization advocating freedom of
expression for musicians and composers worldwide.
19
About the Global Education Centre
Global Bits is produced by the community youth arm of
The Global Education Centre (GEC) provides services to
GEC’s sister programme at the Development Resource
the Global Education Centre (GEC), a programme of the
the formal and informal education sectors, and the youth
Centre is Dev-Zone, a resource centre focused on
Development Resource Centre (DRC) – a not-for-profit,
and community sectors on global education through
international development and global issues. They operate a
non-governmental organisation governed by a charitable
its Schools and Community Youth programmes. GEC
free library, manage a comprehensive website, and publish
trust. We are core funded by NZAID Nga Hoe Tuputupu-
provides training and resources to teachers, teacher
a magazine Just Change. Services include answering quick
mai-tawhiti (The New Zealand Agency for International
trainees, students, youth workers and community groups.
enquiries, email updates, information projects, and literature
Development). The DRC’s vision statement is change for
Services include workshops, youth advocacy, Global Issues
searches on a variety of development topics. Dev-Zone
a just world and its mission is informing and educating to
magazine, teaching resources, a website including fact
works with the development and human rights sector, as
empower people to take action to create a just world.
sheets and links, and a free lending library.
well as students and the general public.
The Global Education Centre is core funded by NZAID – Nga Hoe Tuputupu-mai-tawhiti