A passport of rhythm It is easy to feel like we are divided in this world. Trump ran and won the US presidential election on a ticket of ‘building a wall’. Our Conservative government has presided over a hostile environment and we have seen the violent nature of borders play out with the death of 39 people aboard the Essex lorry. In his famous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech, Enoch Powell decried the increase in immigration from the former British colonies. A Gallup poll taken weeks after the speech found that 76% of Britons agreed with Powell. The speech infamously drew praise from Eric Clapton, who interrupted his 1976 set at the Birmingham Odeon to declare his love for Powell, with calls for “keeping Britain white”. Furious at such an outburst, a group of writers and artists responded in the form of an open letter. The letter pointed out an irony that Eric had seemingly forgotten; blues influenced his own music. The response from music fans spawned an entire social movement called Rock Against Racism (RAR). What followed was a response that took aim against the rising tide of racism in Britain. RAR brought the fight to the National Front in the late 1970s, with kindness bringing them together and music their preferred weapon. In the aftermath of the Battle of Lewisham - where protestors clashed with the far-right - a 7-mile march from Trafalgar Square to Victoria Park was organised, culminating in a concert. 100,000 people gathered in an inspirational stand against racial intolerance. The intersection between culture and politics has always been a vehicle for solidarity, as true today as ever. A curious dialectic between the embrace of nativist thinking and a multicultural society pervades our society. The antithesis to the nativist vision exists through the medium of music. It is impossible to discriminate against something that is sonically pleasing. A good rhythm cannot be contained by our oppressive system of borders. The power of music is that it is able to bring people from all cultures together, to get them dancing and singing from the same hymn sheet. In the spirit of solidarity, I will take this opportunity to list talented artists from around the world that are well adept at speaking the language of music. Aziza Brahim Aziza, originally from the disputed territory of Western Sahara, grew up in an Algerian refugee camp after her mum had fled the 1975 Moroccan annexation. Despite being considered one of Africa’s oldest conflicts, the plight of Sahrawis - the indigenous people of this territory - often goes unheard. Through her music, Aziza aims to bring to light the struggle for recognition of Western Sahara and its people. Her politically charged music gives a voice to refugees from around the world. After sixteen years of war, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in 1991. The aftermath led to the displacement of 150,000 in the Saraha desert. The camps are the most protracted settlements in the world and exist in one of the most extreme living conditions on the planet. Aziza now resides in Barcelona and her music flits seamlessly between Spanish and Arabic. It is not difficult to draw out the blend of traditional and modern influences; the notes of a Latin inspired sound with traditional Sahwiri folk music. In both ‘Abbar el Hamada’ and ‘Calles de Dajla’, the North African Sahwiri influence is brought together with a flamenco-like Mediterranean sound. ‘Abbar el Hamada’ points to the juxtaposed harsh terrain of the ‘Hamada’ with the beauty of a nomadic lifestyle. ‘Calles de Dajla’ imagines a world where ‘Dajla’, a beautiful coastal city in Western Sahara, can be enjoyed by its indigenous population. Aziza also displays brilliance in versatility; the track ‘Hada Jil’ from her latest album ‘Sahri’ follows through with a more upbeat tempo against an electronic drum beat. The song also features an inconspicuous funk-infused guitar strumming that percolates throughout. Dur-Dur Band Dur-Dur Band was formed in Somalia during the 1980s in what was known as Somalia’s ‘golden era’ for music. Mogadishu had a flourishing disco scene under a socialist regime that had a pro-arts agenda. Dur-Dur Band’s success was short lived: the instability caused by the civil war meant that by 1990, the group had left Somalia and had effectively disbanded across the world to seek refuge. Decades later, their music was picked up by Brian Shimkovitz of Awesome Tapes from Africa. Their work has since been re-released and you can now find them touring with a spirited determination to bring their music back to the masses. The band has a large presence that includes multiple lead singers and backing singers. Their music is full of electrifying funk and features plenty of soulful, afro-Cushitic, inflected sounds from Sahra Dawo, the lead vocalist. On ‘Dooyo’, a low-fi recording is brought to life with some incredibly catchy guitar riffs and a strong presence of horns supported by a melody that bellows throughout. Somalia is one of the countries that the Trump administration has banned from entering the US. In this sense, every time you press the play button on their tracks you eschew Trump’s regressive politics. What more ammunition is needed? Music is a comforting force for those migrants who have settled in new surroundings. It helps to provide a sense of familiarity for those entering a world alien to them. It also acts as an effective tool in bridging differences; it is difficult not to appreciate something that sounds beautiful. The inescapable truth is that whilst the world is entering an isolationist withdrawal, we can always turn to music to break down barriers between communities. Through music, we can help build solidarity because music knows no borders and no language; the only currency and passport needed is a rhythm.
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