Art and culture often intersect with politics and music has been a potent instrument of social movements. In this episode, we explore recent historical and contemporary examples of protest music throughout Africa as musicians and communities turned their creative talents towards anticolonial, antiapartheid, and anti-corruption campaigns.
Guest Bios
Bode Omojola
Bode Omojola is the Five College Professor of Music. Professor Omojola’s teaching and research in ethnomusicology focuses on Nigerian music, with emphasis on West African, Nigerian, and Yorùbá traditions. Omojola is the author of Yorùbá Music in the Twentieth Century: Identity, Agency, and Performance Practice; Popular Music in Western Nigeria: Theme, Style, and Patronage System; The Music of Fela Sowande: Encounters, African Identity, and Creative Ethnomusicology; and Nigerian Art Music: with an Introductory Study of Ghanaian Art Music.
Nathaniel Braddock
Nathaniel Braddock is a musician, composer, and teacher. Braddock performs solo fingerstyle guitar and collaborates with Ghanaian, Zambian, Congolese musicians in numerous soukous, highlife, and jazz groups. Braddock has taught at the Passim School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Old Town School of Folk Music and the Waldorf School in Chicago, Illinois.
Free Resources and Featured Books
Whether you’re new to teaching Africa, or just looking for new material to spice up your existing curricula, check out these free online resources for educators!
Sounds of Resistance: The Role of Music in Multicultural Activism edited by Eunice Rojas and Lindsay Michie. This book takes an international perspective on music in social movements with chapters focusing on anti-apartheid and Afrobeat music.
Music Beyond Borders: Music for Human Rights is a project organized by Janie Cole, an ethnomusicologist and historian. The project focuses on the study of musicians living under and creating music addressing oppressive regimes.
Decolonization Resource Collection: Africa is produced by the National History Center and offers a curated resource list of primary and secondary sources for teaching about decolonization struggles.
“Zimbabwe’s Powerful Music of Struggle” by Anakwa Dwamena provides an overview of chimurenga music, featuring the influence of artists such as Thomas Mapfumo.
“Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” performed by the Khayelitsha United Mambazo Choir.
Fela Kuti houses the music, biography, photography, and art associated with the Nigerian Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti.
“Beasts of No Nation” by Fela Kuti, a song against apartheid from the influential Beasts of No Nation album.
“‘Enough is Enough,’ Say Senegalize Rappers” by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton. This NPR article and audio clip offers an expose into the group, Y’en a Marre.
Episode Acknowledgements
Thanks to Bode Omojola and Nathaniel Braddock for sharing their expertise in this episode.
Thanks to Nico Rivers for audio editing, mixing, and mastering.
Special thanks to the Boston University Africa Studies Center and the Teaching Africa Outreach Program for collaborating and providing support for this podcast.
Image Credits
Photo of Bode Omojola provided by the University of Massachusetts Amherst website.
“fela kuti” by Patsy M_, under Creative Commons License Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). This image has been adapted from the original by Nico Rivers.
Featured Music
“Subutex Mex (Nino Cosma)” by Chocolat Billy, from the album Delicat deni, under Creative Commons License Attribution No-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Intrenational (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Chasse a l’homme” by Api Uiz, from the album Peplum, under Creative Commons License Attribution No-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Intrenational (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Penny the Snitch” by Ikebe Shakedown on the album Live at WFMU for Sufrace Noise with Jo McGasko, 11/6/2017, under Creative Commons License Attribution No-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Intrenational (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“The Ally” by Ikebe Shakedown on the album Live at WFMU for Sufrace Noise with Jo McGasko, 11/6/2017, under Creative Commons License Attribution No-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Intrenational (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Barcelona Afrobeat 01” by Barcelona Afrobeat International Orchestra, from the album Live from the Sacred Fire Stage at the Boom Festival 2008, under Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Barcelona Afrobeat 06” by Barcelona Afrobeat International Orchestra, from the album Live from the Sacred Fire Stage at the Boom Festival 2008, under Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Barcelona Afrobeat 07” by Barcelona Afrobeat International Orchestra, from the album Live from the Sacred Fire Stage at the Boom Festival 2008, under Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Burning Van” by Big Mean Sound Machine, from the album Live on WFMU’s Transpacific Sound Paradise: Sep 19, 2015, under Creative Commons License Attribution No-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Intrenational (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Banjo Basic Man (ID 703)” by Lobo Loco, from the album Hoh Hey, under Creative Commons License Attribution No-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Intrenational (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Down the Yukon” by Los Mirnuls, from the album smic, under Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Switzerland License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Kings of Krontjong” by Los Mirnuls, from the album smic, under Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Switzerland License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Rokko” by Moro Kaju, from the album Rokko, under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Chéri ton disque est rayé” by Patience Dabany from the album Pas de tigre en afrique ?, under Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Tchakare Kanyembe track 07” by Tchakare Kanyembe from the album Live at Sacred Fire stage Boom 2008, under Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Picture Perfect” by Yung Kart from the album August 2019, under Creative Commons License Attribution No-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Intrenational (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.
“Zimbabwe” by Sandro Marinoni from the album Ten Little Songs, under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. This track has been excerpted and overlaid with narrative.