Music & Small Wars (a broad theme)

[AdamG]

Placed here, as Art usually goes hand-in-hand with the Social Sciences.

I haven't seen this addressed anywhere here, even after some reasonable googling and yet I can remember discussing the potential impact with Dave D. 15 years ago.

The political and military chaos in Libya is about to enter its sixth month. As the rebels wage war against Muammar Gaddafi from their capital in Benghazi, and NATO air strikes continue to target his forces, subtler forms of protest that don't make headlines are sustaining the rebel cause.

Libyans are writing their own musical soundtrack to the war, expressing themselves in ways forbidden under the regime, and painting anti-Gaddafi murals and cartoons. These are important gestures of freedom in one of the Arab world's most totalitarian countries.

http://www.studio360.org/2011/jul/01...ck-revolution/

Since December, musicians have been responding to — and provoking — the protests in countries like Egypt and Tunisia, and much of the music being made about these movements is hip-hop. Some of these songs have played a direct role in popular uprisings, while others have helped galvanize international support. Songs are rapped in both English and Arabic, and international collaborations have helped to spread the music over the Internet, via Facebook and YouTube.

Hear Five Of The Best

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2...he-arab-spring

In 2009, in response to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s first speech to the United Nations, a group of Libyan exiles created an organization called Khalas, which means “enough,” the goal, to bring awareness of the struggles again Libya’s dictatorial regime not only to other Libyans in the western world but to the English-speaking world at large. In the wake of revolution in Tunisia and Egypt and protests elsewhere in North Africa and the Middle East, the Khalas team recognized one surprising common thread in the voices of discontent, rap music. Across the region, rap artists were providing the soundtrack to protests in the street. Khalas has curated a mixtape of some of the best new protest music and is now hosting the mix on its website, Enoughgaddafi.com. Abdulla Darrat is one of the founders of Khalas.

http://www.onthemedia.org/2011/feb/1...ic/transcript/

See also
http://rebelfrequencies.blogspot.com...t-gaddafi.html

[selil]

I took an entire PhD course on Music and civil disobedience. US centric labor songs like "Joe Hill" by Robeson is a good example (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Kxq9uFDes). Of course Robeson is an interesting figure. The interaction between populism and music is increasingly interesting as folk songs (contrary to commercial) have significant impact on political change.

[AdamG]

Might as well drop this here -

1) Reading music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgSkpRhP5nI

2) Stuff to read

"Kalachnikov Love," a song by Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blondy that came out in 1986. It was being played everywhere across West Africa — taxis, bars, the stands of cassette sellers. After the death of Kalashnikov was announced on Monday, one former CIA officer commented that the AK-47 was the “easiest assault rifle to fall in love with.”

Carl Krendel is an academic who wrote a paper with the heady title “Alpha Blondy’s Musical Nullification of Race, Class and Cultural Boundaries.” Krendel wrote that “'Kalashnikov Love,' performed with the Wailers [yes, Bob Marley’s band - eds.] and to the base riff of Marley’s 'Stir It Up,' is a sarcastic criticism of violence and the commercialization of the AK-47 in Africa." (You can hear the song below).

http://pri.org/stories/2013-12-27/mi...ak-47-take-bow

[Bill Moore]

We started a discussion on music and rebellion a few years back and unfortunately it petered out. Might be worthwhile to combine these threads?

http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ighlight=music

(Added) Done.

[slapout9]

Jimmy Cliff helped start the Caribbean/Rasta Man/Reggie/Revolution
with both music and films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VA9C6AsH1k

[selil]

Threads merged.

[slapout9]

Deleted

[slapout9]

OK, I am trying this once again. For what ever reason I could not edit the original post for some reason it said I did not have the authority to edit the post! I don't know what is up with that but it would not let me do anything despite following the instructions.


So here is a link to an interesting post from Fabius Maximus on the subject of reform in America and the use music. As the first SWJ/SWC self appointed unconventional warfare music and Video Disk Jockey expert I was very interested in the posted experts opinion and analysis of the subject.

http://fabiusmaximus.com/2013/09/03/...a-music-54559/

[AdamG]

Yo. Related stuff.
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...67&postcount=3