Political Music From Artists in Jamaica and Peru
From WolfWikis
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Politics in Jamaica
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Jamaica gained independence on August 6, 1962. The first prime minister was Alexander Bustamante of the Jamaica Labour Party. Initially, power swapped between the People's National Party and the Jamaican Labour Party regularly. Problems started to grow when Michael Manley began his term as minister. Michael Manley was the first PNP prime minister in 1972 and he introduced socialist policies and relations with Cuba. During his second term elections, politically motivated acts of violence were occuring on a regular basis. One of those happen to directly affect the great reggae artist Bob Marley.
On December 3rd 1976, gunmen stormed in to Bob Marley's house in Kingston Jamaica. Marley, his wife, and his manager were all shot and wounded. The attack was fueled by the upcoming Jamaican Election. Marley and his band were performing at a Peoples National Party concert that week, and some people think that the Assassins were hired by the Jamaica's Labor Party in a effort to stop the political message which Marley and his band were spreading.
Due to his countries political unrest, Bob Marley saw it as his duty to educate the outisde world on the political and social problems of Jamaica. Situations like the shooting at his house just fueled him more. Bob Marley expressed his views through various songs dealing with the political issues of Jamaica.
Bob Marley
http://ccdob.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/bob-marley.jpg
Robert Nesta Marley (February 6, 1945 - May 11, 1981), better known as Bob Marley, was a singer, guitarist, songwriter from the ghettos of Jamaica. He is the best known reggae musician of all times, famous for popularising the genre outside of Jamaica. Much of his work deals with the struggles of the impoverished and/or powerless.
Bob Marley was reggae’s foremost practitioner and emissary, embodying its spirit and spreading its gospel to all corners of the globe. His extraordinary body of work embraces the stylistic spectrum of modern Jamaican music - from ska to rock steady to reggae - while carrying the music to another level as a social force with universal appeal. Few others changed the musical and cultural landscape as profoundly as he. His lyrics mixed religious mysticism with calls for political uprising, and Marley delivered them in a passionate voice.
Lyrics for: I Shot The Sheriff [1]
(I shot the sheriff) But I didn't shoot no deputy Oh, no oh... (I shot the sheriff) But I didn't shoot no deputy Ooh, ooh, oo-ooh..
Yeah, all around in my home town They're trying to track me down They say they want to Bring me in guilty For the killing of a deputy, For the life of a deputy. But I say, Oh, now, now, oh...
(I shot the sheriff) But I swear it was in self defence Oh, no, yeah (I shot the sheriff) And they say it is a capital offence
Sheriff John Brown always hated me For what I don't know Every time I plant a seed, He said kill it before it grow He said kill them before they grow And so, Read it in the news:
(I shot the sheriff) But I swear it was in self defence Where was the deputy? (I shot the sheriff) But I swear it was in self defence
Freedom came my way one day And I started out of town, yeah All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Brown Aiming to shoot me down So I shot (I shot) I shot him down and I say, "If I am guilty I will pay"
(I shot the sheriff) But I didn't shoot no deputy I didn't shoot no deputy (I shot the sheriff) I did! But I didn't shoot no deputy
Reflexes had got the better of me And what is to be must be. Every day the bucket a-go a well One day the bottom a-go drop out One day the bottom a-go drop out I say,
(I I I I shot the sheriff) Lord, I didn't shoot the deputy Yeah (I I shot the sheriff) - But I didn't shoot no deputy Yeah Oh, yeah
Lyrics for: Redemption Song [2]
Old pirates, yes they robbed I, Sold I to the merchant ships Minutes after they took I From the bottomless pit. But my hand was made strong By the hand of the almighty. We forward in this generation trimphantly.
Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom? 'Cause all I ever have: Redemption songs.
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, 'Cause none of them can stop the time. How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look? Oh Some say it's just a part of it: We've got to fulfill the book.
Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom? 'Cause all I ever have: Redemption songs.
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds. Oh have no fear for atomic energy, 'Cause none of them can stop the time. How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look? Yes, some say it's just a part of it: We've got to fulfill the book. Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom? 'Cause all I ever had: Redemption songs. All I ever had: Redemption songs: These songs of freedom Songs of freedom.
Politics in Mexico
http://www.si-mexico.com/images/MexicoMap.gif
The United Mexican States are a democratic republic whose government is based on a congressional system, whereby the president of Mexico is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party electoral system. The federal government represents the United Mexican States and is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial as established by the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, published in 1917. The Mexican political system is very similar to the United States, which should explain the problems they've come to face. :)
http://countrystudies.us/mexico/Carlos-Salinas.jpg
President Salinas Salinas took office on December 1, 1988. In preinaugural interviews, he promised the "political, economic, and cultural modernization" of Mexico and an improvement in Mexico's standing abroad. In his speech, Salinas stressed the importance of a sound economy to the nation's future. The debt was his primary issue. He urged further renegotiation, "no longer to pay, but to return to growth." The new president also promised further political reform. Salinas term as president began very well. He took several steps to improve the mexican economy and had the country headed in the right direction. By 1993 inflation had been lowered to 10 percent and the foreign debt reduced by some $25 billion. This set the stage for fulfillment of Salinas's most cherished dream: inclusion of Mexico into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The president's dream was realized on November 17, 1993. The U.S. Congress approved NAFTA. Salinas's prestige had never been higher. He was only forty-four and a brilliant future was predicted for him. But his glory would come to an end with the start of 1994. In September 1994 there was high-level political assassination that tarnished the prestige of the Salinas family. The victim was PRI secretary general José Francisco Ruiz Massieu, Salinas's former brother-in-law. The marriage to the president's sister had terminated in a bitter divorce. Charged with masterminding the murder was Raill Salinas, the president's older brother. He was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to fifty years in prison.
Raul Salinas proved to be a detriment to his brother in more ways than one. It was discovered that he was at the center of a vast web of corruption and influence peddling and that the Salinas economic "miracle" consisted more in creating twenty-one new billionaires than in raising the general standard of living. It was a known fact that the peso was overvalued (by at least 20%, according to some sources), but the extent of the Mexican economy's vulnerability was either not well-known or downplayed by Salinas de Gortari's tame políticos and media. Nonetheless this vulnerability was further aggravated by several unexpected events and macroeconomic mistakes of his administration. Today, the Salinas family is in total disgrace, with Raul serving his fifty-year prison term and Carlos a political exile in Ireland.
El Circo by Los Tigres [[3]]
Entre Carlos y Raul eran los duenos de un circo Carlos era el domador era el hermano mas chico Raul el coordinador con hambre de hacerse rico Se hicieron tan influyentes que empezaron a truncar los circos por todos lados hasta hacerlos fracasar pa' quedarse con las plazas y libres pa' trabajar El circo que habia en el golfo fue el primero que cayo y los circos de Chihuahua fue Carlos quien los cerro quedando el de Sinaloa y al frente su domador Raul se hizo millonario dicen que por ser el mago desaparecio el dinero de las manos de su hermano hoy dicen que esta en los bancos de Suiza y por todos lados Carlos desaparecio se le vino el circo abajo aprenden al Sinaloense despues de aquel avionazo fue como a Raul y a Carlos se les acabo el trabajo Raul se encuentra en la carcel ya se le acabo la magia Carlos en la cuerda floja ahora la gente descansa hasta que llegue otro circo y otra vez la misma transa
Among Carlos and Raul eran los duenos de un circo Were the owners of a circus Carlos era el domador Carlos was domador era el hermano mas chico But boy was the brother Raul el coordinador Raul coordinator con hambre de hacerse rico Hungry to become rich Se hicieron tan influyentes There were so influential que empezaron a truncar That began to truncate los circos por todos lados Circuses everywhere hasta hacerlos fracasar To make them fail pa' quedarse con las plazas Pa 'keep places y libres pa' trabajar Free and pa 'work El circo que habia en el golfo The circus that had in the Gulf fue el primero que cayo That was the first cayo y los circos de Chihuahua Circuses and Chihuahua fue Carlos quien los cerro Carlos, who was the hill quedando el de Sinaloa Leaving the Sinaloa y al frente su domador And his face domador Raul se hizo millonario Raul became a millionaire dicen que por ser el mago They say that as the magician desaparecio el dinero The money disappeared de las manos de su hermano From the hands of his brother hoy dicen que esta en los bancos Now say this in banks de Suiza y por todos lados Switzerland and everywhere Carlos desaparecio Carlos disappeared se le vino el circo abajo He came down the circus aprenden al Sinaloense Learn to Sinaloense despues de aquel avionazo After that avionazo fue como a Raul y a Carlos As was to Raul and Carlos se les acabo el trabajo They have just the job Raul se encuentra en la carcel Raul is in jail ya se le acabo la magia And he has just magic Carlos en la cuerda floja Carlos on a tightrope ahora la gente descansa Now people rests hasta que llegue otro circo Until you get another circus y otra vez la misma transa And again the same transa
Annotated Bibliography
1. http://www.discoverjamaica.com/politics.html I used this site to get a feel for the political history of Jamaica. It was useful in setting a base for my research.
2. http://www.photius.com/countries/jamaica/national_security/jamaica_national_security_violence.html This site gave insight to the violence that took place around Jamaica's government. It also pointed out each political party.
3. http://web.bobmarley.com/index.jsp This site gave some background information on Bob Marley and his beliefs. It was a good starting point, nut is geared more to fans than actual research.
4. http://niceup.com/bmbio.html This site provided more information on marley's music and life.
5. http://www.songfacts.com/ Obtained song lyrics and opinions on meanings behind songs. Site based on opinions not facts, but music is an artform so opinions are valid.
6. http://www.sonoma.edu/users/w/warmotha/awmexico.html Site provided info on mexican government and NAFTA involvment.
7. http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/history/jtuck/jtsalinas.html Gave information on president Salinas and his administration. Found site fairly useful and it gave detailed info. A little dated though (Hasen't been updated since late 90's).