Politics of Song: From Folklore to Hip-Hop

The course examines how songs relate to people's attitudes to public life, and conversely, how attitudes to public life translate into songs. While focusing on lyrics, the course places selected Czech songs within their political, cultural, historical, and social contexts. Songs will be regarded as either challenging or confirming the status quo, and as either intrinsically political, or political because of the given context of reception rock'n'roll in the Soviet Bloc). It will be worthwhile to keep these four categories in mind, as the course runs through song material spanning from 19th century Habsburg empire to current day, covering genres from traditional ballads to social bandit songs, protest songs, anti-military songs, revolutionary songs, patriotic songs, topical songs on police shootings against worker's demonstrations, rock'n'roll in the Eastern Block, Czech folk singers-songwriters, Roma songs of empowerment, Neo-Nazi pub rock, alternative rock, contemporary rap, and more. Based on relevant theoretical readings questions will be asked such as: Can a song ever be ?innocent, - that is, stand outside of politics? Was Ronald Reagan right - was it rock'n'roll that destroyed the Soviet bloc? Did the establishment react differently to rock musicians in the Eastern and in the Western block? Is there an inherent link between the genre of hip hop and oppressed minority cultures? Can a song shape the reaction of a nation after a traumatic experience? What did the Nazi and Communist regimes share in their view of modern trends in songs, etc. Students will co-create the class by bringing in songs of their choice from their own contexts. Guest speakers and field trips will bring a further dimension to the class.