Ambassadors release their much anticipated Music videos: Vicious Circle & Road to Success
September 24, 2018
If one was to find themselves on either the Facebook or Twitter page of a musical artist, you would find they are often inundated with positive messages regarding their work. Occasionally, however, they’ll face some criticism, and this seemingly intensifies if the work is imbued with any sort of political message.
The standard response is something along the lines of “please keep music and politics separate”, for it somehow taints the original product. As fans, one of the things we long for is a personal connection with the artists we appreciate, and an insight into their set of beliefs is one of the ways that this relationship can be established. Naturally, one might not always agree or even care for another’s ideals, but to deny any musician a platform to speak from goes against the very essence of music.
Here at Music Relief Foundation, we believe music is the perfect tool in which we can convey positive messages, which we achieve in the work we do with our ambassadors. Music as an art form is founded on expressionism, whether that be individually or collectively; if you look over the course of history, ideologies and beliefs are entrenched in certain genres of music. Gospel music, for instance, one of the earliest forms of song, initially served a far greater linguistic purpose than it did artistically, utilising repetition and ‘call and response’ to involve people who were unable to read or write. This style, which involves the wider group repeating the words of the lead singer, ultimately creates a rapport between a particular community, strengthening the bonds and forming a dialogue. This served as the basis for work and protest songs during the slavery period, and was perhaps the first instance of politics intertwining with song.
By the start of the 1970s, political songwriting was effectively a normality, with a counter-culture born out of youthful rebellion manifested itself with the hippy lifestyle, something that is now viewed almost synonymously with folk artists such as Bob Dylan. For African-Americans, soul and blues were the platform from which the Civil Rights Movement could springboard, with the improved studio techniques allowing artists to fulfil both the political and artistic sides of music.
After years of being viewed solely as a form of entertainment, music, much like film, was finally being treated as an art form worthy of critical attention, and this then permeated onto artists who began to produce more experimental and innovative pieces of work. Marvin Gaye, whose work in the 1960s consisted of studio-manufactured Motown songs, evolved into a politically and socially minded soul singer in the 1970s, epitomised by his seminal album What’s Going On. A concept album which plays out cyclically, it tells the story of a Vietnam War veteran who is bemused by the state of the country upon his return, touching on issues such as poverty and global warming. Later in the decade across the pond, Britain had its own taste of social rebellion, with punk rock being the source of anti-establishment values; ‘God Save The Queen’, The Sex Pistols’ satirical takedown of the monarchy, was at the heart of this.
At the risk of straying too far away from the point, these albums have been lauded as significant pieces of work, and many people would agree with such a statement; so why now, are political statements by musicians often treated with scorn? If statements made in relation to the Civil Right Movement were and still are considered crucial, then surely any modern message should be deemed equally as important. .
That brings us back to the ethos of what we do at Music Relief Foundation; using music as a tool to instigate societal change. Our ‘More Than Able’ campaign, which aims to raise awareness for growing knife crime rates, is unfortunately all the more relevant given the rising popularity of drill music in the UK. This sub-genre of grime and road rap has often been criticised for encouraging violence and hedonistic lifestyles, with many acts using mixtapes and YouTube as a platform to release their music. Though it would be churlish to say the genre itself is the root of the problem, the encouragement of violence within this social circle has gone to the point where such acts are normalised, and the lyrics within the music play a major role in this acceptance. This has resulted in banning orders, online video removals and other preventative measures, but it’s the culture surrounding this genre that is where the problems start.
To reverse these negative trends, we must attempt to connect with the people involved, and this sense of community is at the heart of our work. Music should be used in a positive way, with our workshops helping our young ambassadors find their voice in both a musical and political sense. Our latest project is a free concert on December 2nd, with our young musicians taking the stage at Croydon Boxpark alongside several highly-regarded acts, as they celebrate the power of music whilst enhancing their own performative skills. We really hope you can support and join us for this wonderful event, and you can get your free tickets via the link below.
