MUS 2420 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Soundscape, Religious Text, Nguni Languages
Document Summary
Examples of music"s link to political events include the historical role of bagipes as instruments of war or songs that recall the pain of forced migration. Music provides a mode of expression for individual and collective political action. Music has always been an integral part of displays of political power. It conveys national identity and official ideologies through symbolic acts ex: singing of a national anthem. We must recognize the difference between open and coded political messages. Public transcripts: musical displays to affirm and perpetuate an existing power structure. Hidden transcripts: musical performances and repertoires that embed messages through metaphorical or coded terms. Music is crucial in helping us understand how power is enforced and how it is challenged. The 3 case studies in this chapter of disparate traditions in south africa, the caribbean and the us demonstrate the manner in which music empowers people while being used and transformed in different contexts.
