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Music and Social Change
"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent."
- Victor Hugo

Music is never simply noise: it is the sound of a society, of a time, of a place. Music marks the spirit of people; people make music that reflects their thinking and feeling. Music, then, always has the potential to be dangerous - it can inflame the revolutionary - which is why it has been banned and censored at many points in history. It articulates the ideas and emotions that are too strong for words, and that "cannot remain silent." This refusal to remain silent is why music has so much social power. In this month's theme, we explore music as a reflection of, and force for, social change. Music that is angry, joyous, and necessary.
Timeline
Listen to and learn about some of the voices from different countries and different times that have cried out against injustice. Clips are provided courtesy of the Centre for Political Song
JukeBox
Listen to the music young people are making!

Omar Mostafa
Shawn
Islom
3ground
K'naan
X-Plastaz
Lady B
3ground
22, Canada
View profile
Song: Set Us Free

Download the song
I wrote this song in November 2003, as the United States was making their case to the United Nations that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction and were an imminent threat to the security of the World. I was one of many people that did not believe that the American government were being truthful and wrote a song about it called 'Set Us Free'. No one asked the U.S. to police the planet and it's time they stopped. I am inspired to write music by everything that I see and hear, and feel I need to say.
I Am Hip Hop
"I Am Hip Hop" is a video created by youth through the Global Action Project, a project that defines hip hop as a youth movement and culture, an expression of the daily life experiences of urban youth.
Watch the video!
Discussion Boards:
Remember the first time you heard your favorite song? Maybe it drifted to you from a distant corner of a noisy room, traveling down your ear canal and hitting you right in the heart. However it happened, talk about the role that music has played in your life with other TIG members by participating in the cacophony of the discussion boards! Go!
Global Gallery:
A good song screams at the world when the rest of the world is silent, afraid to shout. A good song provokes the mind. A good album can whisper and still be heard in a noisy room yet is best heard in a silent one. Even the best of lyrics silently commences with the scratching of pencil on paper. Silence is the fertile ground on which all sounds grow, and even the loudest of noises has a silent start. There are infinite forms of silences, and infinite sounds. Express Silence in an image. Go!
Panorama:
A couple dancing across a room. Their feet move together, following an innate rhythm. Friends dancing in the street. Their heads bob together, weaving a melody of camaraderie. Citizens march in time. They sing verses of solidarity. Songs travel over the ocean, humming, "This is to let you know how I feel." In this issue of Panorama, we explore the ways in which music brings people together. Go!
More Resources
Music Mayday:
Music Mayday is a young and dynamic global youth platform aimed at developing youth cultures and communication leading towards international co-operation and understanding between young people. Music Mayday focuses on success stories and organizes youth driven activities in the area of creative and artistic expression by means of different media. Based in the Netherlands, the Music Mayday Foundation provides support to national Music Mayday organisations and designs and co-ordinates international activities. It stimulates young people all over the world to connect through music, video, dance, theatre and new media, while sharing ideas and interests.
The UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music of the World:
Is part of UNESCO's programme for the preservation and revitalization of Cultural Heritage, and presents living musical traditions as a social act between performers and audience, and is a source of invaluable inspiration for today's creators, musicologists and traditional music lovers.
FreeMuse:
Is an independent international organization advocating freedom of expression for musicians and composers worldwide, monitoring cases of music censorship, providing information and building a support network for artists.



All songs and lyrics are provided for informational and educational purposes only. Songs and lyrics are subject to all Canadian copyright laws and remain property of their respective owners.