The Audacity of Music

As I was researching for this blog entry, I came across the funniest thing that I just had to share. I was unaware that Paris Hilton created a music video that dealt with the election. She did so because McCain had apparently used an image of her in a television ad in order to blast Obama, so she created a fake campaign to try and prove that McCain is way too old to be the next President. She entitled her music video "Paris for President," and danced around in a white bikini. I thought that was interesting, very interesting.

I also came across an African American woman named Odetta. She has apparently been referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement." Another one is "The Queen of the American Folk Song," given to her by Martin Luther King, Jr. She's best known for the singing of "O Freedom" in the March on Washington during the Civil Rights Movement. What is pretty amazing about her is that she has had operatic training, but then branched out and become a political singer of the blues, jazz, folk, and spirituals. She was awared by President Clinton in 1999 the National Endowment for the Arts' National Medal for Arts. Bob Dylan has been quoted saying that Odetta inspired him in the way of folk singing. Reading about her, it sure sounds like she was a big star during the civil rights movement. You should definitely go search her on youtube, or maybe I'll do that for my "cool stuff" on the blog this week.

Back in August of 2008, the prinicipal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergier, conducted the Maryinski Orchestra from St. Petersburg, Russia in Tskhinvali, South Ossenia. The concert was in celebration of the Russian military victory over the country Georgia regarding Ossenian independence, but it was also in mourning for the Russian soldiers that lost there lives right in the very area that they were performing. The orchestra played the Leningard, or Stostakovitch's Symphony No 7. I, personally, had never of this piece until reading all about it. Apparently, back in 1941 this piece exemplified the Russian and western opposition to Nazi rule. But, at the same time, it can be considered war propoganda.
Valery Gergier, as part of the concert, made many annoncements dealing with political affairs, but these views are also supposed shared by Putin, so he didn't overstep the bountries in the Russian government's eyes.
What I find so intriguing about this is that he was so outspoken about the Russian victory for Ossenia, when he is actually just a conducter there to share music that is supposed to bring some sort of stability and peace to humanity. Gergier is actually Ossenian, so that probably explains why he shared his political thoughts so freely and with such confidence.
If you'd like to read more about it, the article can be found here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4579829.ece

There are so many other music and society topics that come to mind in our own American history. I'm mostly thinking of the 1960s/1970s protest music (as well as before, during, and after the Vietnam War): The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan..the list goes on and on. It's amazing how the music industry exploded with all these songs that accompanied this free spirit movement of peace, love, and happiness. Music really can change society!