On the need for a revolutionary musical practice
Music is part of the broad artistic spectrum of peoples and cultures. Made up of sounds, forms, movements and other elements associated with gestures and symbolic language, in the form of rituals, their moral, political and relational ideals. Music, dance and poetry are intimately connected and for some they cannot be conceived separately. Since for ever, melodies and rhythms have expressed the variety and complexity of human emotions, the relationship with nature and with the universe. The texts of many musical traditions are praises, reflections or stories: they tell us about society, its history and development.
For many of us, who spend most of our lives in modern urban centres characterised by speed, consumerism and impersonality, this can be not so obvious. The cities in Europe, and later in the rest of the World, have been transformed into centres of capitalist and statist power. With this a heavy blow was inflicted on culture: oral traditions, mythology, music and dance – expressions of our values and social worlds – weaken and are severely marginalised. Art as a social manifestation of creativity, diversity and of values such as freedom, justice and solidarity, is under attack. We are witnessing a “professionalisation of expression” – only the highly specialised artist has the privilege of creating and expressing themselves. Commercial music often has been robbed of any social perspective, critique and resistance. We become passive spectators instead of active agents that contribute to the marvellous world of artistic expression which has the potential of uniting, teaching and developing creativity and sociability.
In my musical education, studying the trumpet, the French horn and composition, the academies presented me with a strongly euro-centric and analytical model, that disconnected music from its popular and social roots without me realising. Over time, I incorporated myself into the system under this understanding, and in my mind European classical music acquired a certain level of superiority even though I grew up surrounded by different rock bands from Chile and the world and was introduced to music by playing these songs on the guitar.
Despite this, an internal search was always present in me and little by little I became interested in other musical styles and in recognising the universality and the wider, social and creative character of music. In particular it was the experience of discovering improvisation in the context of jazz and the writings of C. Small that widened and renovated my understanding of music, composition and creativity, and made me reconnect with that part of music that had sparked my interest when I was small: the enjoyment of playing and singing with others, expressing myself creatively, dancing and in a more general but no less important sense to “give and receive”.
These and other reflections made me consider how urgent it is to return to the musical traditions of the countryside, the mountain and the city in revolt. It’s crucial to reappropriate song and dance, find inspiration in the different examples of resistance songs in history and unleash a cultural revolution. By realising the contradictions and violence of the system, it became even more necessary for me, same as with many other artists, to align my musical practice and expression with a spirit of youthfulness, dynamism, openness and revolution.
For this reason, I will give some examples of different places of the World that have influenced me with different artists and songs that have represented and embodied democratic and socialist values, to illustrate the universality and internationalism of these ideals in musical practice.
In Latin America during the 20th century, there were many artist that became symbols of the people, of their struggle and resistance. Mercedes Sosa, Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, bands such as Inti Illimani and Quilapayun are some names among many. What was called the “Nueva Canción Chilena” (New Chilean Song) was a powerful musical and cultural movement that took inspiration from indigenous music and peasant songs to create music based in social critique. “El Pueblo unido jamás será vencido” or “Arauco tiene una pena” are two emblematic songs that denounce the imperialist and colonial oppression and the exploitation of the native peoples of Abya Yala/Latin America, and which became symbolic songs of protest in a continent where the greed and domination of European powers has left and to this day continues leaving deep marks of destruction, from extractivism to political repression of opponents.
In Europe, despite the deep material and especially ideological attack on society and on democratic and socialist values since the 14th century, a vigorous tradition of protest songs has developed. Some emblematic revolutionary songs are the “L’Internationale” by E. Pottier that was born from the Paris Commune – a symbol of the struggle for socialism and democracy. In Italy “Bandiera Rossa”, a remake of an old Lombardian song that became a socialist and communist hymn in the first part of the 20th century, the popular protest songs of the “Mondinas” – rice plantation workers in the north of Italy – “Se otto ore vi sembran poche” and many more. Also the musical projects of “Cantacronache” and “Nuovo Canzoniere Italiano” were incredible examples of encounters of diverse artists such as Italo Calvino, Fausto Amodei, Giovanna Marini and many more who gave new energy to the peasant, popular and resistance musical tradition. Songs such as “La Zolfara” or “Per I Morti di Reggio Emilia” that speak of protests and exploitation, “Oltre il Ponte” or the famous “Bella Ciao” to remember and revive the antifascist values of the partisan struggle in Italy, are only a few examples of this period.
From Catalonia we have “La Estaca”, song of opposition to Franco’s regime that spread all through the continent, developing different versions, such as in France and in Eastern Europe, where in became a very popular song in connection with the Solidarnozc movement and the opposition to the authoritarian and antidemocratic tendencies of the communist regimes under the pressure of the Soviet Union.
Those who opposed imperialism and fascism in this continent never stopped singing for hope and resistance in a region that has suffered uncountable conflicts fuelled by the thirst for power of feudal, aristocratic and bourgeois elites and that in the 20th century would face two terrible conflicts of global dimensions, both expressions of the contradictions of capitalism in the age of modern empires.
In our days, “Canción sin Miedo” from Vivir Quintana or “Palestina” of the student movement of Milan in the 70s have become widespread songs in a world where the contradictions and conflicts of capitalism have global proportions. Without a doubt, all over the world songs of resistance of society are born and reborn embodying and propagating the values of democracy and socialism.
There are many ways to put into practice these ideas and concepts: creating song books with lyrics and chords, compiling songs of resistance old and new, which are an excellent tool for singing together in different situations. Also creating bands and music groups, with singing or instrumental ones; with the different abilities and experiences. This diversity will always be a positive example and the practice of “unity in diversity”. And there is the need to propose, in formal and informal occasions, musical and artistic moments to spread and put into practice a democratic culture as the youth, living a musicality rich in differences, melodies, rhythm and socialist and democratic values.
The songs and artists I have mentioned are just examples of a -popular- music that narrates the history and life of a democratic society and culture that has always existed. Capitalism and the state try to hide its existence but, because of its vigour and essence, these resilient and persistent expressions reappear in the most adverse of circumstances. Music is therefore a source of democratic history on one side, and on another a practice of creativity and sociability that creates a better world, guided by the principles of freedom, justice and solidarity.
-Ignazio Mattei
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