Protest song

A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be

Types#

The sociologist R. Serge Denisoff saw protest songs rather narrowly in terms of their function, as forms of persuasion or propaganda. Denisoff saw the protest song tradition as originating in the “psalms” or songs of grassroots Protestant religious revival movements, terming these hymns “protest-propaganda”, as well. Denisoff subdivided protest songs as either “magnetic” or “rhetorical”. “Magnetic” protest songs were aimed at attracting people to the movement and promoting group solidarity and commitment – for example, “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” and “We Shall Overcome”. “Rhetorical” protest songs, on the other hand, are often characterized by individual indignation and offer a straightforward political message designed to change political opinion. Denisoff argued that although “rhetorical” songs often are not overtly connected to building a larger movement, they should nevertheless be considered as “protest-propaganda”. Examples include Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” (which contains the lines “I hope that you die / And your death’ll come soon”) and “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. Ron Eyerman and Andrew Jamison, in Music and Social Movements: Mobilizing Tradition in the Twentieth Century (1998), take issue with what they consider Denisoff’s reductive approach to the history and function of song (and particularly traditional song) in social movements. They point out that Denisoff had paid little attention to the song tunes of protest music, considered them strictly subordinate to the texts, a means to the message. It is true that in the highly text-oriented western European song tradition, tunes can be subordinate, interchangeable, and even limited in number (as in Portuguese fado, which only has 64 tunes), nevertheless, Eyerman and Jamison point out that some of the most effective protest songs gain power through their appropriation of tunes that are bearers of strong cultural traditions. They also note that: There is more to music and movements than can be captured within a functional perspective, such as Denisoff’s, which focuses on the use made of music within already-existing movements. Music, and song, we suggest, can maintain a movement even when it no longer has a visible presence in the form of organizations, leaders, and demonstrations, and can be a vital force in preparing the emergence of a new movement. Here the role and place of music needs to be interpreted through a broader framework in which tradition and ritual are understood as processes of identity and identification, as encoded and embodied forms of collective meaning and memory. Martin Luther King Jr. described the freedom songs this way: “They invigorate the movement in a most significant way… these freedom songs serve to give unity to a movement.”

Algeria#

Raï () is a form of folk music, originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms. Its origins date back to the 1920s and has been primarily evolved by the women referred to as cheikhas, who performed in cafes, bars or bordellos, often for men. A typical performance included the cheikhas accompanied by two to four male instrumentalists playing a gasba (a wooden flute) and gallal (a metal drum). Rai was considered a rejection of the traditional Algerian music of the time, and the cheikhas " . . . used lewd lyrics focusing on the hardships of life facing peasant women in a big city, the pain of love, the lure of alcohol, immigration, and mourning." Rai continues to be regarded, as Al-Neen states, " the music of rebellion and the symbol of cynicism. Rai has emerged as an outlet for voicing the frustrations of youths and placing greater emphasis on freedom and liberty."

Egypt#

Ahmed Fouad Negm is considered a key dissident figure whose poetry in colloquial Arabic gave voice to the underclass in Egypt, and inspired protesters. He teamed up in the 1960s with composer Sheikh Imam Eissa who gave music to his verses, the partnership lasting for twenty years. Lines from Negm’s poem “Who Are They, and Who Are We?” were chanted at Tahrir Square in 2011 during protests against President Hosni Mubarak. “Ezzay,” meaning “How come?” by Egyptian singer and actor Mohamed Mounir is considered one of the most popular songs associated with the protests. “Irhal,” meaning “Leave”, by Ramy Essam became an internet hit, and was subsequently described in the media as having become an anthem for the revolution.

Anti-apartheid#

The majority of South African protest music of the 20th century concerned itself with apartheid, a system of legalized racial segregation in which blacks were stripped of their citizenship and rights from 1948 to 1994. As the apartheid regime forced Africans into townships and industrial centres, people sang about leaving their homes, the horror of the coal mines and the degradation of working as domestic servants. Examples of which include Benedict Wallet Vilakazi’s “Meadowlands”, the “Toyi-toyi” chant and “Bring Him Back Home” (1987) by Hugh Masekela, which became an anthem for the movement to free Nelson Mandela. The Special AKA wrote a song on Nelson Mandela called “Free Nelson Mandela”. The track is upbeat and celebratory, drawing on musical influence from South Africa, was immensely popular in Africa. Masekela’s song “Soweto Blues”, sung by his former wife, Miriam Makeba, is a blues/jazz piece that mourns the carnage of the Soweto riots in 1976. Basil Coetzee and Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Mannenberg” became an unofficial soundtrack to the anti-apartheid resistance. In Afrikaans, the 1989 Voëlvry movement led by Johannes Kerkorrel, Koos Kombuis, and Bernoldus Niemand, provided a voice of opposition from within the white Afrikaner community. These musicians sought to redefine Afrikaner identity, and although met with opposition from the authorities, Voëlvry played to large crowds at Afrikaans university campuses and was quite popular among Afrikaner youth.

Post-apartheid#

Following apartheid’s demise, most Afrikaans writers and musicians followed public sentiments by embracing the new South Africa, but cracks soon emerged in the dream of the “rainbow nation” and criticism started to emerge, criticism that has grown in frequency and intensity in recent years. Violent crime put South Africa in the top category of most dangerous country in the world, along with poverty, government corruption, and the AIDS pandemic. For this reason, writers and musicians in which some of them veterans of anti-apartheid movements, are once again protesting against what they consider to be a government failing to uphold the promise of ‘peace, democracy and freedom for all’ that Nelson Mandela made upon his release from prison. By 2000, Johannes Kerkorrel claimed in the song “Die stad bloei vanaand” The city bleeds tonight : “the dream was promised, but just another lie has been sold.” Two Afrikaans compilation albums of predominantly protest music were released recently: Genoeg is genoeg Enough is enough (2007) and Vaderland Fatherland (2008), and Koos Kombuis also released a CD called Bloedrivier Blood River (2008), which is primarily a protest album. One track, “Waar is Mandela” Where is Mandela asks, “Where is Mandela when the shadows descend … Where is the rainbow, where is the glory?” and another, “Die fokkol” song The Nothing song, tells tourists who visit South Africa for the 2010 Football World Cup that there is nothing in South Africa; no jobs, no petrol, no electric power, not even jokes. However, these compilations only represent the tip of the iceberg, as many prominent musicians have included protest songs on recent albums, including Bok van Blerk, Fokofpolisiekar, and KOBUS!. The reality of the New South Africa is decidedly violent and crime is a well-known theme in post-apartheid Afrikaans protest music. The punk group Fokofpolisiekar (which translates to fuck off police car) sings in “Brand Suid-Afrika” Burn South Africa : “For you knives lie in wait, in the garden outside you house,” and Radio Suid-Afrika sings in “Bid” Pray : “Pray that no-one will be waiting in the garden, pray for strength and for mercy in each dark day.” Theirs is a country of “murder and child rape” where the only respite is alcohol abuse. In “Blaas hom” Blow him away by the industrial band Battery9, the narrator sings how he gleefully unloads his gun on a burglar after being robbed for the third time, and in “Siek bliksems” Sick bastards Kristoe Strauss asks God to help against the “sick bastards” responsible for hijackings. The metal band KOBUS! pleads for a reinstatement of the death penalty in “Doodstraf”, because they feel the promise of peace has not been realized. In “Reconciliation Day”, Koos Kombuis sings: “Our streets run with blood, every day a funeral procession, they steal all our goods, on Reconciliation Day.” Elsewhere he states, “we’re in a state of war.” The video of this song features a lawless microcosm of theft, rape and abuse – a lawlessness reflected in Valiant Swart’s “Sodom en Gomorra”: “two cities in the north, without laws, without order, too wonderful for words.” Hanru Niemand rewrites the traditional Afrikaans song Sarie Marais, turning it into a murder ballad speculating on where Sarie’s body will be found. The new protest musicians also parody Voëlvry’s music: Johannes Kerkorrel’s “Sit dit af” Switch it off – a satire on P. W. Botha of the apartheid regime – is turned into “Sit dit aan” Switch it on by Koos Kombuis, now a song protesting mismanagement resulting in chronic power failures. Much of the protest by Afrikaans musicians concerns the legacy of apartheid: In “Blameer dit op apartheid” Blame it on apartheid Koos Kombuis sings how “the whole country is evil,” yet the situation is blamed on apartheid. Klopjag, in “Ek sal nie langer” I will no longer sings that they will no longer apologize for apartheid, a theme echoed by many others, including Koos Kombuis in “Hoe lank moet ons nog sorry sê” For how long do we still have to say sorry . Piet Paraat sings in “Toema Jacob Zuma” Never mind Jacob Zuma : “My whole life I’m punished for the sins of my father.” There is also a distinct feeling that the Afrikaner is being marginalized by the ANC government: Fokofpolisiekar sings in “Antibiotika” Antibiotics , “I’m just a tourist in the country of my birth,” Bok van Blerk sings in “Die kleur van my vel” The colour of my skin that the country does not want him despite his willingness to work, because he is white, even though white South Africans have the lowest rate of unemployment, and in “Bloekomboom” Rian Malan uses the metaphor of a blue gum tree (an alien species) to plead that Afrikaners should not be regarded as settlers, but as part of the nation. Steve Hofmeyr has incorrectly expressed concern about the statistically high murders of Afrikaner farmers, and has also appealed in several speeches to remember Afrikaner heritage. His songs “Ons Sal Dit Oorleef” (We will survive this) and “My Kreed” (My Cry) also echoes many Afrikaners’ fears of losing their culture and rights. The appeals by these musicians, and several others, to be included follows a sense of exclusion manifested in the political, linguistic and economic realms, an exclusion depicted particularly vividly by Bok van Blerk’s “Kaplyn” Cut line , a song that laments that fallen South African soldiers have been omitted in one of the country’s show-case memorials, the Freedom Park Memorial, despite official claims of it being a memorial for all who had fought for the country.

Tunisia#

Emel Mathlouthi composed songs since a young age which called for freedom and dignity in a Tunisia ruled by the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, earning her scrutiny from internal security forces and forcing her to retreat to Paris. Banned from the official airwaves, her protest songs found listeners on social media. In late 2010 and early 2011, Tunisian protesters referred to her song Kelmti Horra (my word is free) as an anthem of the Tunisian Revolution.

China#

The Chinese singer-songwriter Cui Jian’s 1986 song “Nothing to My Name” was popular with protesters in Tiananmen Square. The Chinese singer Li Zhi made references to the Tiananmen Square massacre in his songs and were subsequently banned from China in 2019. Three years later, during the anti-lockdown protests in China, this was used as a protest song across YouTube.

Hong Kong#

Hong Kong rock band Beyond’s “Boundless Oceans Vast Skies” (1993) and “Glory Days” (光輝歲月) (1990) have been considered as protest anthems in various social movements. During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, Les Misérables’ “Do You Hear The People Sing” (1980) and Thomas dgx yhl’s “Glory to Hong Kong” (2019) were sung in support of the movement. The latter has been widely adopted as the anthem of these protests, with some even regarding it as the “national anthem of Hong Kong”.

India#

Cultural activism in India has always been considered one of the most effective tools to mobilise people into making a social change since pre-independence times. India provided many examples of protest songs throughout its struggle for freedom from Britain. Indian rapper Raftaar’s “Mantoiyat” lashes out at corrupt politicians and police and brings to light injustices that plague the country. In the song he talks about deep rooted issues and brings light to the hypocrisy of the people and the government. Artists such as Poojan Sahil, Seedhe Maut, Vishkyun, Prabh Deep, Rapper Shaz, Sumit Roy & Ahmer usually talk about social issues in their songs. The rock fusion band Indian Ocean’s song “Chitu” was one of their first and prominent songs, a tribal anthem that Ram had come across over the course of being involved in the Narmada Movement. In 2019, India’s citizenship Law led to a mass protest all over the country. Artists like Varun Grover, Poojan Sahil, Rapper Shaz & Madara joined the cause with their own sonic protest. In more contemporary times, protest music has been a regular feature of movements in India. The Dalit rights movement especially uses music to further its goals. The Kabir Kala Manch is one such well known troupe of singers who used their performances to raise awareness and support for their cause. The widely acclaimed documentary film, Jai Bhim Comrade, highlighted the work of Kabir Kala Manch and presented this form of protest music to both Indian as well as international audiences. Similar, albeit less known, Dalit musical groups exist in various parts of India. The leftist movements of India too use protest music along with street plays as a means to propagate their message amongst the masses. Protest music was a big feature of plays organized by the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA). Similar organisations formed after the break-up of IPTA and highly influenced by its work, like the Jana Natya Manch (JANAM), also made protest music a regular feature of their plays. In recent decades, however, the Left’s cultural activism has increasingly been relegated to the margins of the cultural sphere. Some attribute this to the political decline of the mainstream Left in India, as well as a shift in focus to local movements and languages as identity politics took a greater hold of Indian Polity. Protest music also features regularly in protests held by other mainstream national parties of India.

Iran#

Fereydoun Farokhzad’s “Sad Eastern”—which its title is referring to Iranian people—is considered as one of the first Iranian protest songs. Due to the free speech limitations at the time of the song was first sang (1969 or 1970), it is a light protest song talking about “freedom” and “not giving up of our land” Iran. Since it is illegal to criticize the government and social issues in Iran after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, most of the Iranian artists who make protest songs live abroad. Protest songs in Iran have a long history due to the long history of Human rights violations by the Islamic Republic of Iran. One of the most important protest songs of Iran is Hichkas’s “A Good Day Will Come” which is often considered as the most influential Iranian protest song. “A Good Day Will Come” was released a year after the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, one of the most violent protests in Iran. “Iran Iran” which is the debut single of rapper Fadaei, was also released a year after the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests mentioning the killing of Neda Agha-Soltan and the 2009 Kahrizak Detention Center disaster. After the death of over 1500 protesters in the 2019–2020 Iranian protests —which is best known as Bloody November due to its massive brutality— Iranian artists who live abroad released many protest songs include Hichkas’s “Clenched His Fists” —which was released one month after the start of the protests— and “Hit”, Fadaei’s “Overthrow” (also mentions 2021 Sistan and Baluchestan protests) and “From Karaj to Langerud” (Inspired by the ). As of now, Bloody November has been mentioned many times in protest songs. After the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, who was arrested for alleged wearing her Hijab improperly and later died after she had been —according to eyewitnesses— severely beaten by religious morality police officers, a massive global protests sparked all around the world and many Iranian artists released protest songs. Among all of the songs, Shervin Hajipour’s “For” —which was released twelve days after Amini’s death— became an instant hit and immediately turned into the unofficial “anthem” of the uprising. It was widely used during gatherings, from schools and universities to streets, both nationwide and across the globe. It was broadly circulated in social media and foreign TV channels and radio stations as well. The song also served as the backdrop for several other forms of art such as video works, graphic design and performance art. On November 11, 2022, Roxana Saberi reported the song as “the most viral tune to ever come out of Iran”. Since its release, “For” has become the single most covered protest song in Iran’s history. Hajipour was later arrested for the song and released on bail five days later, banned from any musical activity. Other Iranian notable protest songs which were released during Mahsa Amini protests includes Mehdi Yarrahi’s “Woman’s Anthem”, “Life’s Anthem” and “Cage is Enough”, Hichkas’s “This One Is Also For”, Fadaei’s heavy political theme album “Right” —which includes “Tawaf” and “Blood” protest songs— and “Conquer” (Inspired by the execution of Majidreza Rahnavard), Shapur’s “Death to the Whole System”, Toomaj Salehi’s “Battleground” and “Omen”, Ethnic Musician’s “Freedom’s Anthem”, Koorosh and Sami Low’s “Us”, Shahin Najafi’s “Gen Z” and “The Morning of Revenge”. Majid Entezami’s “Khorramshahr Symphony” —which was re-released on October 13, 2022, and its title is referring to Khorramshahr’s 1980 and 1982 battles— was also used multiple times on protest videos including women cutting their hair and calls for protests. Many artists have been arrested in Iran after releasing protest songs following the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests includes Shervin Hajipour, Mona Borzouei (Lyricist of Mehdi Yarrahi’s “Woman’s Anthem”) and Toomaj Salehi. Salehi was arrested on October 30, 2022, for his social awareness activities on his social media and releasing the two protest songs “Battleground” and “Omen” during the Mahsa Amini protests. On November 27, 2022, Iranian media revealed that Salehi was charged with “corruption on Earth”, an offense which could carry the death penalty. In March 2023, rapper Fadaei released another protest song associated with the 2022–2023 Iranian protests titled “Black”. The song was very controversial due to its Maddahi singing style mixed with pop music. It also contains heavy protest lyrics and Chaharshanbe Suri-Muharram-Nowruz themes.

Israel#

Israel’s protest music has often become associated with different political factions. During the 1967 war, Naomi Shemer added a third verse to her song “Jerusalem of Gold”, sung by Shuli Natan, about the recapturing of Jerusalem after 2,000 years. Later on that year, a different point of view of the song was introduced by the folk singer Meir Ariel, who recorded an anti-war version and named it “Jerusalem of Iron”. Gush Emunim supporters have taken a repertoire of old religious songs and invested them with political meaning. An example is the song “Utsu Etsu VeTufar” (They gave counsel but their counsel was violated). The song signifies the ultimate rightness of those steadfast in their beliefs, suggesting the rightness of Gush Emunim’s struggle against anti-settlement policy by the government. Minutes before Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was murdered at a political rally in November 1995, Israeli folk singer Miri Aloni sang the Israeli pop song “Shir Lashalom” (“Song for Peace”). This song, originally written in 1969 and performed extensively at the time by an Israeli military performing group, has become one of the anthems of the Israeli peace camp. During the Arab uprising known as the First Intifada, Israeli singer Si Heyman sang “Yorim VeBokhim” (“Shoot and Weep”) to protest Israeli policy in the territories. Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” is used as a protest song by some opponents of Israel’s barrier in the West Bank. The lyrics were adapted to: “We don’t need no occupation. We don’t need no racist wall.” Since the onset of the Oslo Process and, more recently, Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan, protest songs became a major avenue for opposition activists to express sentiments. Songs protesting these policies were written and performed by Israeli musicians such as Ariel Zilber, Aharon Razel, and others.

Myanmar#

During the 8888 Uprising, Burmese composer Naing Myanmar penned “Kabar Makyay Bu” (ကမ္ဘာမကျေဘူး), rendered in English as “We Won’t Be Satisfied till the End of the World” as a protest song. Set to the tune of Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind”, the song quickly gained popularity across the country, as an emotional appeal for freedom. The song was recorded and distributed on cassette tapes, reaching millions of Burmese eventually becoming an anthem of the 8888 Uprising.

Palestine#

Palestinian music () deals with the conflict with Israel, the longing for peace, and the love of the Palestinians’ land. A typical example of such a song is “Biladi, Biladi” (My Country, My Country), which has become the unofficial Palestinian national anthem. Another example is the song “Al-Quds (Jerusalem) our Land”, with words by Sharif Sabri. The song, sung by Amr Diab from Port Said, Egypt, won first prize in 2003 in a contest in Egypt for video clips produced in the West Bank and Gaza. DAM is an Arabic hip-hop group, rapping in Arabic and Hebrew about the problems faced by Palestinians under occupation and calling for change. Kamilya Jubran’s song “Ghareeba”, a setting of a poem by Khalil Gibran, deals with a sense of isolation and loneliness felt by the Palestinian woman.

Pakistan#

Protest music in Pakistan has been deeply inspired by South Asian traditions since pre-independence times. The song “Hum Dekhenge” is just one example of protest music from Pakistan. Faiz Ahmed, a poet and a prominent Pakistani Marxist, originally penned the poem with the same title as a response to General Zia ul Haq’s repressive dictatorship. The poem is considered a critical commentary of Zia’s brand of authoritarian Islam. His political beliefs set him up as a natural critic of General Zia Ul Haq. In 1985, as part of Zia’s programme of forced Islamicization, the sari, part of the traditional attire for women on the subcontinent was banned. That year, Iqbal Bano, one of Pakistan’s best-loved singers and artists, sang Hum Dekhenge to an audience of 50,000 people in a Lahore stadium wearing a black sari. The recording was smuggled out and distributed on bootleg cassette tapes across the country. Cries of “Inquilab Zindabad” (“Long Live Revolution”) and thunderous applause from the audience can be heard on the . Faiz was in prison at the time. The song has, since the fall of the Zia dictatorship, regularly featured in protests in Pakistan. More recently, a newer rendition of the song by Pakistani singer, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, was used as the title song for the political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in the 2013 Pakistani general election, and in the Azadi march of 2014. The international anthem girti hui deewaron ko aik dhakka aur do by famous poet Ali Arshad Mir created in the 1970s found profound place in various protests. This revolutionary anthem is still in use in resistance movements against oppressive political regimes and failing institutions by politicians and common people alike.

Philippines#

From the revolutionary songs of the Katipunan to the songs being sung by the New People’s Army, Filipino protest music deals with poverty, oppression as well as anti-imperialism and independence. A typical example was during the American era, as Jose Corazon de Jesus created a well-known protest song entitled “Bayan Ko”, which calls for redeeming the nation against oppression, mainly colonialism, and also became popular as a song against the Marcos regime. During the 1960s, Filipino protest music became aligned with the ideas of Communism as well as of revolution. The protest song “Ang Linyang Masa” came from Mao Zedong and his Mass Line and “Papuri sa Pag-aaral” was from Bertolt Brecht. These songs, although Filipinized, rose to become another part of Filipino protest music known as Revolutionary songs that became popular during protests and campaign struggles.

South Korea#

Commonly, protest songs in South Korea are known as Minjung Gayo (, literally “People’s song”), and the genre of protest songs is called “Norae Undong”, translating to the literal meaning “song movement”. The starting point of Korean protest songs was the music culture of Korean students movements around 1970. From the middle of the 1990s, following the democratization of South Korea, Korean protest songs have lost their popularity. There has been a resurgence of protest songs due to the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis.

Taiwan#

“Island’s Sunrise” (Chinese: 島嶼天光) is the theme song of 2014 Sunflower Student Movement in Taiwan. Also, the theme song of Lan Ling Wang TV drama series Into The Array Song (Chinese: 入陣曲), sung by Mayday, expressed all the social and political controversies during Taiwan under the president Ma Ying-jeou administration.