Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Sing Out

Trey Smith


You know, when I first started this meme on protest songs for the Afternoon Matinee feature, my plan was to do it for a month or two and then go back to the usual stuff. But, I gotta tell ya, there is a rich diversity of protest music out there and, 4 months in, I feel as if I have barely scratched the surface. I am now of the mind to feature protest songs in the 4:30 pm time slot for the rest of this year.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of rap and hip hop music -- my favorite kinds of music include rock, heavy metal, pop, folk, Celtic and classical -- and yet I have discovered a wealth of protest music in these genres. For example, I recently stumbled across dead prez, a hip hop duo with some in-your-face political material. You will be hearing from them soon.

The whole point of this exercise is to educate and inspire through music. Not only that, but to do so within a Taoist framework. That is why I am utilizing so many different genres of music. Just as we each must ply our own paths, different styles of music will appeal to different people. One person may be more receptive to country or bluegrass music, while someone else might automatically tune that out. Hip hop might speak to you, while folk might speak volumes to someone else.

As you may have noticed, I am using a broad definition of the word, protest.  While many of the songs featured are defiant, in nature, others simply affirm another way to live and relate.  The tie that binds is that all of these songs criticize certain facets of the status quo or the established order of things.  Many suggest a different road to travel.

I want this to be an interactive project too. If any readers know of protest songs that have not been featured to date -- ones that speak to your heart -- please note the song titles/artists in the comments section or send me an email.

Viva la revolucion!

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