Column: Singing for change

Musical expression and human rights go hand-in-hand in countries all across the globe.

Often, we examine the formal structures of political participation when trying to
understand the amount of freedom within a country. However, by listening to the local sounds of musicians and taking notice of what the people are actually listening to, we could gather a far more comprehensive vision of the social and political engagement in countries like Sudan.

For southern Sudan, Jan. 9 marked the beginning of the end of an era. It was the day when the people of the region began their journey toward real change.

People took to the ballots in a national referendum that would decide whether Sudan would remain one country or split into two separate countries.

Though the official results of the vote have not yet been declared final, provincial results show that nearly 99 percent of southern Sudanese individuals desire a split from their northern counterparts.

If all goes according to plan, southern Sudan will be an independent country
sometime in July.

This massive change resulted from the vocal nature of southern Sudanese musicians and radio stations.

In a largely illiterate country like Sudan, it is often hard to spread the word about voting. Thus, the role of music in this referendum cannot be understated.

Artists like Yaba Angelosi and Emmanuel Jal have motivated the everyday people of southern Sudan to go to the polls and cast their ballots.

Angelosi’s anthem “Time to Vote” is currently one of south Sudan’s biggest hits. In the weeks before the polls closed, it was frequently played on the airways, and it motivated a whole community to voice their opinions at the ballot box.

In the “Time to Vote” video, a group of Sudanese celebrities urges southern Sudan to vote and spread the word. The song’s message is clear: Vote now.

It may be hard for us in the United States to see how instrumental political songs can be. But imagine if you were living in a rural area in southern Sudan and couldn’t read or write. A song played on an old FM radio could be your only connection to what is happening in the rest of your country.

In this scenario, Angelosi’s song serves as both a public service announcement and uniting force for the country to rally behind in tremulous times.

The result of public service announcements like “Time to Vote” and other tools of civil engagement resulted in more than 3.8 million southern Sudanese casting their ballots.
This is a major triumph and truly illustrates the political power of music.

Another example of this power is seen in Jal’s song “We Want Peace.” It serves as a more commercial example of the worldwide campaign for awareness about Sudan’s historical vote.

He calls to the whole world asking for peace and mutual understanding. He teams up with some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities to spread the word about Sudan, and with more than 83,000 YouTube views, it seems that people all across the world are beginning to listen.

It is the song of a Sudanese movement for change, yet it also closely aligns itself with the same motif of change people in America clung to in the 2008 election.
Songs like these unite global listeners and bring pressing news stories not often covered by the western media to the forefront.

So no matter where you are listening in the world, the message is the same.
Think beyond yourself. There is a whole world out there just waiting for you to take a listen.