Music plays a significant role in shaping my identity and has a profound impact on my political beliefs and views on cultural identity. To illustrate this, I have chosen a collection of readings that delve into the influence of music in political spheres and explore the transformations and confirmations of cultural identity. These readings encompass various geographical locations, including southern India, Syria, the Palestine-Israel border, South Carolina, and Hidalgo County, Texas. Through examining music's role in fostering community, driving political change, and fortifying identity in the face of systemic oppression worldwide, these readings provide valuable insights into the power of music.
The articles demonstrate that subaltern communities depend on music to gain respect and recognition from their oppressors. The first step towards validation involves establishing an identity for each community, accomplished through various music genre
...s. None of these genres overpower others; instead, they reflect the culture or subculture each community embodies. By utilizing the cultural importance of their respective genres, these communities garner support for their shared cause, fostering unity among members. This approach serves as the basis for all the groups examined in the reading program, potentially driven by a sense of safety within the movement.
Cultural resistances often challenge the existing power structure, prompting those in higher positions to introduce systems of structural violence. Saada-Ophir and Sherinian's articles demonstrate such systems in the form of elites shaping a musical scene that aligns with their own ideals, aiming to hinder the progress of community initiatives. This can be observed in Israel's Shirei Eretz Yisrael music production company, as well as the emergence of the Karnatak genre rooted in Brahmanical culture among Indian caste elites. Similarly, i
the United States, there is a prevalent use of police and institutional measures that marginalize and criminalize Mexican immigrant communities.
Byrd discusses initiatives aimed at restricting the movement of undocumented workers, such as police road blocks and barriers to obtaining driver's licenses. The reading program demonstrated how music has been used globally to reinforce identity and resist cultural oppression. As a musician and social anarchist, I was hoping to find an article about anarchist ideology in North American folk punk music. However, due to its niche status, I could not locate any articles on that specific subject. Nevertheless, the articles I did find were intriguing and thought-provoking, possibly influencing the themes and messages in my own music. Interestingly, many of the songs' lyrics (excluding those mentioned in Sherinian's article) focused on the social and spiritual experiences of the community rather than dismantling the dominant system. This aligns with western folk punk, where some bands aim to foster a sense of unity with their audience based on shared beliefs that challenge those promoted by the government and media.
Some of the folk punk songs I listen to have a similar aggressive tone to Tamil folk songs. The two movements are connected by their use of vivid confrontational imagery. In all of these readings, the authors clearly highlight the links between music, politics, and cultural identity, as marginalized groups use music to rebel against the oppression imposed upon them by elite groups. Each of these subaltern groups prioritize building a strong sense of community before taking action externally.
Using music as a platform, individuals are capable of spreading the impact of their music and achieving recognition from both local authorities
and, in some cases, international audiences. Music provides an opportunity for community members who lack wealth or influence beyond the domain of music to actively contribute to positive transformation within their communities.
