Satya has ceased publication. This website is maintained for informational purposes only.

Rock-n-roll, that bastion of sex, drugs, and well, rock-n-roll, will always be blamed for corrupting young minds and pissing off parents. But rock-n-roll can also be held responsible for spreading progressive ideas and fueling political activism in generations of listeners. (Woodstock anyone?) And while pissing off adults is indeed a noble endeavor, perhaps working to increase social consciousness is more so.

Music has always been an outlet for the political and personal beliefs of artists, of course, but over the past four decades, such diverse and notable acts as folk singer Pete Seeger, reggae legend Bob Marley, soul singer Marvin Gaye, rocker Neil Young, blues singer Bonnie Raitt, and British punk bands the Clash and the Sex Pistols have used the stage as a platform for their views. Building on this foundation are popular artists like rapper Chuck D. of Public Enemy, punk band Fugazi, rock band Rage Against the Machine and folk duo The Indigo Girls. This legacy continues in a new breed of musicians who are using their voices and music to bring attention to worthy causes and issues. With the change in the political climate since September 11 and the controversial war on Iraq, even bands you’d expect devoid of a political message have joined in the chorus. Take the Dixie Chicks, those sweethearts of country music, for instance. When singer Natalie Maines announces, “We’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas,” to a London audience in March, you know something’s up.

There’s been ample voicing of pro-peace opinions (a staple in rock-n-roll) of late, with high-profile acts like Madonna and Sheryl Crow weighing in. Lenny Krativz, R.E.M., the Beastie Boys, John Mellencamp and former Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha have all recently released anti-war songs via the Internet (bypassing a cautious and sometimes hostile radio market). Elvis Costello kicked off the Independent Film Channel’s movie awards show in March with a rousing performance of his classic song “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding.” And there was the unforgettable anti-war statement at this year’s Grammy’s by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, in which he expressed the hope that we are all in “agreeance” that “this war should go away” and has since been ridiculed for bungling the word “agreement.” But come on now, it’s rock-n-roll, he’s supposed to bungle the English language…has anyone heard his lyrics?

Many activist musicians, however, are extremely informed and present the issues in a thoughtful and succinct way. Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine, now in Audioslave, Patti Smith, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Michael Franti, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls are a few examples. Some of these artists have been particularly vocal in their opposition to war. At a recent Audioslave concert in LA, Morello draped a banner over his amp that said “How many Iraqis per gallon?” and Vedder, who campaigned for Ralph Nader in the last presidential election, took a mask of George W. Bush and impaled it on a microphone stand. While these tactics tend to grab the media spotlight, both Morello and Vedder have expressed themselves quite eloquently in interviews. I’d suggest checking out an especially good piece on activism in music, “The Power of Music,” featuring Morello and Vedder, which ran in the December 23, 2002 issue of The Nation.

Activist musicians take on all kinds of issues. Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde, Beatle Paul McCartney, hardcore band Earth Crisis, the nouveau punk band Goldfinger, and 80s new wavers the B-52’s have all embraced animal rights; U2 frontman Bono rallies to cancel third world debt; even psycho-rocker Ted Nugent can be considered an activist, albeit for the sketchy pro-hunting and gun rights causes (why yes, I am biased, thank you for asking). Recently Tom Morello and Serj Tankian, singer for System of a Down (the band for which Michael Moore directed an excellent anti-war video for their song “Boom!”), joined activists at a demo in Santa Monica to protest a law that would essentially make feeding homeless people illegal. Their organization, Axis of Justice, works to build a bridge between their audiences and the causes they support. Working as a “referral service,” Axis goes out as an installation at concerts and is offered to bands free of charge. According to Morello, “When we play in your hometown we bring the installation and it’s divided by subgroupings, so whether you are personally a victim of physical or sexual abuse, or whether you are interested in labor issues and globalization, or anti-racism or peace issues and the war with Iraq, you will be able that night to belong to an organization or meet with others who are interested in forming one.” Morello and Tankian are now hosting a monthly hour-long radio show, the Axis of Justice Radio Network, featuring rebel music, political talk, and interviews with some of the dedicated activists who fight to make our world a better place. The first show aired Friday, April 18 at 9 p.m. (PST) on Los Angeles’ KPFK, 90.7 FM. You can listen online at www.kpfk.org or in the future online archives at axisofjustice.org.

Especially refreshing is the radical hip hop of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, the Roots, Dead Prez, and the Coup, to name a few. With brash consumerism so prevalent in commercial hip hop (of the Puff Daddy and Jay Z variety), these artists work to enlighten their listeners instead of portraying themselves as gangsters or money makers. Dance music in general seems to strive to keep the party going nonstop. Some electronica artists, however, have used their exposure to express progressive ideas. The electronic outfit Thievery Corporation, a duo fusing dub, ambient, bossa nova, hip hop, and acid jazz, played at the protest outside the Capitol during Bush’s State of the Union Address, and their most recent CD, The Richest Man in Babylon, includes a booklet of photos that portray people from all over the world in dire circumstances due to war, famine, political unrest, and/or natural disasters.

Bands like Rage Against the Machine and Public Enemy write (or wrote, in Rage’s case) songs that serve as political anthems (as well as soundtracks for frat parties). Their predecessors, the Clash, set the tone for political rock in the late 70s, when the band started churning out its first chords, paving the way for bands like U2 to write political anthems of their own. The Clash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March shortly after frontman Joe Strummer died at the age of 50. Tom Morello was on hand to do the honors and said of the band, “They combined revolutionary sounds with revolutionary ideas.” He also quoted the words of Joe Strummer, from the song “White Riot”:

Are you taking over, or are you taking orders?Are you going backwards, or are you going forwards?

I think the activist performers in rock, hip hop, folk, country, dance, electronica, punk, reggae, soul, and world music (and all the other types out there) know how to answer that.

Anne Sullivan’s musical journey started with her first record purchase at the age of eight (Let’s Get Physical by Olivia Newton John) and at her first concert (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Detroit in ’83). After she saw Duran Duran in concert in 1984, there was no turning back. Currently, she directs publicity for Lantern Books and for the legendary Nells nightclub, in addition to being an avid music junkie.