MUSIC AND POLITICS

Were it not for music and the arts, everyday life would be consumed with labor, legal proceedings, payment deadlines, and medical procedures. Music and art represent the highest forms of human expression, and without them, life would be very dull. Music also happens to be one of the greatest tools for social evolution.

As a form of communication, music has always been used to express opinions about matters of the day. With a hotly contested general election in Ghana on the 7th of December, 2016, I thought it would be a fine time to examine the way music and politics have become strangely entwined.

Through the years several musicians and bands have used their music as a vehicle to express their political views; these artists use songs and performances to spark movements. The reason this works is because music gets people thinking, talking, and doing. As long as there are policies and issues to rage against, these artists and bands will keep making sure their voices get heard.

 

 The very nature of politics is, like music, rooted in conflict and harmony. The heart of music is the interplay of the physical and the mental, as the compromise between them forms a cohesive whole. Compromise is also the heart of the political process, trying to find common ground and consensus solutions to problems of society through open communication. Both seek to inspire their targets, and both have made great use of the other to advance their ideas.

The relationship between music and politics has existed for centuries, sometimes harmoniously, and other times not as much. Historical records are full of examples of songs that laud the achievements of nations, dating all the way back to ancient Egypt. On the other hand, however, songwriters have turned to their craft when confronted with social and political unjustness, and give birth to songs that seek to shine a light on the perceived inequities of the day. From protest songs to voter campaigns, campaign rallies to musical endorsements and musicians campaigning, there’s  been no shortage of love between music and politics.

 Powerful songs have always been the engine behind the greatest social movements — it is the marching soundtrack that unites the people and gives them focus and resolve.

In 1970s Nigeria, Fela Kuti invented Afro Beat music as a way to protest the oil company regime of Nigeria. His song “Zombie” became a global hit that railed against Nigeria’s military dictators.

In South Africa, the indigenous Mbatanga music helped bring about the end of apartheid and it spread a message of peace and reconciliation in that nation.

We should be looking for the next wave of musicians, songwriters, and artists to show us the way. Musicians who will have the courage to stand up, sing it, write it, and speak it.

With my little experienced and in the search of information for this article, I have realized the power of music as a force for social justice and change.

Remember to look beyond the surface of the candidates and their celebrity endorsements and examine their actual message; vote wisely.

Ref:
Barrett Martin (2014)
Jennie Wood (2015)
Rex Thomson (2016)