Songs of Social Protest

From the outset the coverage of Songs of Social Protest is exciting and comprehensive. It brings to life the social, cultural and personal engagement of popular music across genres and historical periods. The book evokes the power of social struggle and the passion of musical artists who want to change the social world. -- Shane Blackman, Professor of Cultural Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University
Music has a unique power. But why and how can music develop such an energy that public articulation of protest is almost unthinkable without it? Whether American 1960s folk music or Indian activist movements in the new millenium – this unique collection dissects the interconnections of music and political articulation from any possible perspetive. The findings are globally more relevant than ever. -- Britta Sweers, Professor of Cultural Anthropology of Music at the University of Bern
To hear the songs of social protest in this remarkable volume is to discover renewed purpose in a world whose ideals are now at greatest risk. These are the songs of local struggle and the voices of the global collective, calling us to action and sounding the ways to endow music with power in our own day and beyond. -- Philip V. Bohlman, Mary Werkman Distinguished Service Professor of Music and the Humanities, The University of Chicago
Songs of Social Protest is unprecedented in its international and multidisciplinary scope. It questions any single definition of the protest song, considering sound and performance as well as lyrics. It grounds the agency of songs in social movements, organizations, socialism, feminism and the politics of self-determination. Anyone asking the question ‘Where have all the protest songs gone?’ should start here. -- Nabeel Zuberi, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Auckland