ART and Song

Although singing is very common in Indonesia, and some ethnic groups (I'm thinking particularly of the Bataks) are famous for their choirs, there seem to be no 'activist' songs. Something reminded me today of meetings of AIDS activists that I was lucky enough to join on two visits to South Africa a few years back. Participants always seemed to be singing. If the meeting was a few minutes late starting, they'd sing! During the breaks, they'd sing! At the end of the day, they'd sing! Someone would sing a few bars, and straight away the rest would join in.

And the singing was great, not your normal karaoke racket. The songs were 'activist' songs, and everyone knew the words and the harmony. I think several of them originated from the apartheid period, but there were also new ones about the AIDS struggles. The singing always generated a feeling of togetherness, of involvement.

In this karaoke-crazy nation, I wonder why this form of vocal advocacy has not caught on.

Babé