Music isn't political!

The Ed Sheeran–Macklemore controversy has become much bigger than a disagreement over whether music should stay out of politics. And honestly, there is a legitimate argument on both sides.  

Sheeran's desire for his concerts to be places where people come together rather than another battlefield in the Israel-Palestine conflict is understandable to some. 

But so is the argument from artists who believe that when civilians are being killed, refusing to speak because you are an entertainer can itself become a political position. That argument isn't going away simply because somebody bought a concert ticket.You don't have to agree with an artist's political intervention to recognise that politics has always had a place in music and at concerts. You can disagree with what an artist says from the stage. You can think a particular political intervention is inappropriate. You can even walk out. 

But claiming that concerts are somehow a politics-free zone isn't supported by the history of music.  

Politics has been on the stage, in the lyrics and in the audiences for generations. For some artists, politics isn't something they bring into music. It is part of the music! To anyone claiming politics has no place in music: have you ever listened to music?  Music has always confronted war, power and oppression.

All art is political. Music is no exception. Music cannot be non-political by its very nature. All concerts are political - especially when the audience is ignorant of the politics. Artists have  for such  a long  time  used their voices loudly and proudly to stand up for people in need. So no, I’ll never understand the whole “music isn’t political” argument. Music is inherently political. 

Ask any Black artist especially those from the 40's-90's. Ask any person who is not white, straight, or male. Even when they dont mean for it to be their music ends up being used politically.

In 1973, Victor Jara was singled out for special torture because of his music. He was key to the Nueva canción (new song)movement, with strong political themes. 

So Pinochet’s regime broke every bone in his hands then killed him. 

I personally  got into politics through music. Have  you  heard Akala, Angelic Upstarts, Ani DiFranco,Anrhefn, Asian Dub Foundation,Aswad, The Au Pairs, Joan Baez,The Beat, Billy Bragg,Black Uhuru,Buffy Sainte-Marie, Burning Spear, Tracy Chapman, Chumbawamba, The Clash, Johnny Clegg, Conflict, Crass, Culture, Jerry Dammers,Datblygu, Dead Kennedys,Bob Dylan,Steve Earle,The Ex, Aretha Franklin, Dick  Gaughan, Marvin Gaye, Woody Guthrie, Gil Scot Heron, Billie  Holiday, Victor Jara, Fela Kuti,The  Levellers,Linton Kweisi Johnson, Killing Joke, Le Trio Joubran, John Lennon, Lowkey,Bob Marley & The Wailers,Manic Street Preachers, Ewan MacColl, Curtis Mayfield, The Men They Couldn't Hang,Misty in Roots, Christy Moore, Napalm Death, New Model Army, Phil Ochs,The Poison Girls, The Pogues,Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine, The Redskins, Paul Robeson, David Roviks,Tom Robinson Band, Leon Rosselson, The Ruts,Pete Seeger,The Selecter, Sepultura,Sex Pistols,Nina Simone, Sleaford Mods, Patti Smith,  Bruce Springsteen,Steel Pulse,Stiff Little Finger, System of a Down, Peter Tosh, Toots and the Maytals, Robert Wyatt, X-Ray Spex   or, Neil Young.? 

Music has long been a vehicle for social change. An integral part of human nature, music has the potential to connect and unite people. Music can bring people together in safe and inclusive communities, and musicians can lend their voices on behalf of the voiceless  and to their audiences speak out on social injustices  all around them.

Music has the power to bring people from different countries, backgrounds, and languages together in the same space, allowing them to share emotions. That’s precisely why, when artists speak out about war or human rights, their words can reach far beyond the music itself.  Some people may connect with those messages, while others may have completely different opinions. 

Artists  creativity has inspired people to think differently about the world,and the combination of the right lyrics, rhythm and instruments can build a group identity, stir strong emotions, engage audiences and with a level of influence and reach in society to convene and  amass people to take action.

Some have even risked their careers to stand up for what they believe in. From the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement to Black Lives Matter, musicians have heralded major political movements that have helped change the world with their art.The civil rights movement had a number of borrowed songs from civil war era spirituals that both motivated and unified its audiences.

 A classic examples being 'This Little Light of Mine.' A more literal example in its lyrical content would be Sam Cooke's ' A Change is Gonna Come ' along with others who wrote anti-war and protest songs that gave a voice to the dissenters.

Then there was Woody  Guthrie  who  had "This machine kills fascists" on his guitar as a declaration that art is a weapon against oppression.Music as Education: He viewed songs not just as entertainment, but as educational projects to rouse political awareness and fight capitalist inequality 
The great Fela Kuti used his music as a weapon to be wielded against tyranny, with much potency, singing against tyranny and social injustice, and through his music took sides with the downtrodden.

And Gil Scott-Heron  who  used his poetry and music to deliver sharp, uncompromising political and social commentary, exploring systemic racism, political corruption, poverty  and media manipulation.
Let's  not forget Jerry Dammers who  while in  the Special AKA  who  recorded the anthemic ' Free Nelson Mandela 'which established itself as a worldwide anthem for the growing demand of the jailed African National Congress leader to be be released by the apartheid South African authorities. 

Not someone either to shy away from making political statements Patti Smith  has used her music to as a means of political activism, condemning war and human rights abuses. On a more uplifting note, her song 'People have the Power' is a powerful reminder to not sit passively but rather work to create the world we want to live in. 

And  lets remember Joe  Strummer  who  viewed popular music as a powerful vehicle for social and political commentary, who believed that popular music was an unmatched tool for connecting with everyday people and fighting right-wing ideas.

And  don't  forget the  Slave songs, the  Rebel songs,  the  anguish  cry  of  the blues , Rock Against Racism,  Artists against apartheid, The Two Tone movement. 

Music is entretched in politics.Its is a art form with which the unheard, the disaffected, can express their opinion, freely. Music speaks to the soul especially when times are hard. If you dont want to hear politics, then music isnt for you. 

Music is a form of artistic expression that uses  a universal language that we can all understand, that as well as breaking down barriers, borders, transcending nationality or religion, it  can also educate. As a cultural right  it can also help to promote human rights, whether they be civil, political,economic or social.
Le Trio Joubran – the Palestinian masters of the oud through their mesmerizing music, have been hey honouring the struggles and oppression of indigenous peoples not only in the Middle East but around the world and especially affirm that their music should be a part of the struggle of the Palestinian people for recognition and liberation.

Lest  I  forget  folk, music that  has been a driving force of protest and social change for centuries.
Music can  be used to provoke and  empower people to become bold enough to fight against forces much greater than themselves.

Music can have a huge influence on what we think and how we view the world, especially now that it is so easily accessible and transferable via social networking and Youtube. 

Unlike so many great promoters of peace, social justice and equality, many musicians are blessed with the fact that millions of people already are listening to their songs. With that much influence, it only seems logical that they would choose to write about something worthwhile.

The ongoing censorship of some musicians is evidence of the power of  music to affect social change and the real threat that oppressive regimes feel when artists speak out. Some musicians have been met by state sanctioned violence and even murder. Pussy Riot's Punk Prayer saw them arrested and sent to remote gulag-like prison authorities, and creative expression through music can still be met with jail time in many places in the world. 

Many artists  have was recently been censored for supporting Palestinian rights. But more  than an attack on self-expression, censorship and persecution are attacks on the power of music to connect and create communities.

In some cases, music  has also remapped political landscapes and had a role in overturning regimes. Music is popular, and often populist, able to be employed by the people regardless of creed or class. In its role of challenging and changing history, music rises above the individual singer to a collective force of passion and will and transcends any singular time period or institution. Though statues and regimes rise and fall, the music plays on in the hearts of the people. 
Musicians Without Borders works with musicians around the world to build nonviolent, inclusive communities. And stands with musicians around the world for human rights and social justice— through music. It is a global network organization that uses music for peacebuilding and social change. Using music as a tool to build connections, foster empathy and shape communities. Studies have shown that music is a powerful tool that can influence behavior, shape culture and strengthen social bonds. Musicians Without Borders uses music as a means to address the needs of societies divided and affected by conflict.
Since 1999, Musicians without Borders has been using the power of music for peace-building, connecting people, empowering musicians as social activists, and training local youth as change-makers. Long-term commitment allows the participants the time to develop skills and talents, process grief and loss, and build bridges of reconciliation in societies divided by recent or ongoing conflict.
Where war has raged, people need everything to return to life: food, water, shelter, clothing, medicine. But more than anything, people need hope. To reconcile, people need empathy. To heal, people need connection and community. 

Music creates empathy, builds connection, can convey important messages and ideals that people can truly listen  to, that gives hope  allowing people to come together and  become  powerful forces for change. 

In the end, I believe what matters most is creating an environment where artists have the freedom to speak, and audiences have the freedom to think for themselves. Both deserve to be protected.  

At the end of the day, our perspectives are shaped by our individual positions, circumstances, and experiences. There isn’t just one way to see things, and no one can decide what the one absolute right answer is. 

But  the fact is most things aren’t apolitical when you start to pick them apart. Being vocal about something is a political statement. Silence is a political statement. Whether an artist is singing about nature, love,  social or political norms, we all exist in a series of systems that decide the fate of people’s lives.Everything is political. And the music of change is blowing through all Continents.

Patti Smith - People Have The Power

Aretha Franklin - A Change Is Gonna Come 

"Music is above the law. Music can get through the cracks and infiltrate places where other things just can go" - Peter Wallenberg