Politics finds a natural place in popular music. Rage and Bob Marley demonstrates this lyrically. Even without preaching during gigs and hosting big “world changing” events these alone can be argued to achieve political change through simple awareness.
Where this topic is debated is displayed in the event Live Aid. Many artists appeared to be more involved in selling their latest single than helping climate change or poverty (especially those who travelled in private planes). The original Band Aid, however, conveys the other side of political events. It clearly raised awareness and raised over $50 million- described by Shuker as “a means of raising both consciousness about and funds for political causes.’
Popular music may not be able to change politics but is certainly can raise awareness, which is sometimes all that is possible in countries where Governments use such raised money to fund the Army instead of helping the needed. A recent example of awareness helping political change is with the amount of bands using their spot in the limelight to support the Obama campaign in the American election.
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This is a pretty well expressed and well considered blog post. The example of Bob Marley is an interesting one, as his very clear counter-capitalist political message has done a great deal to swell the coffers of Island Records!
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