Music & Dance
The Creation of Fear through Censorship: Repression of Artistic Freedom in the Music of the Syrian Revolution
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Subject Area
Music & Dance
Start Date
11-4-2014 10:45 AM
End Date
11-4-2014 12:00 PM
Sponsor
Rusty Jones (Butler University), Sally Childs-Helton (Butler University)
Description
الله, سورية, حرية, وبس "God, Syria, freedom, and that is all." This is a common chant sung by many Syrian voices expressing their differences with the Assad regime. For generations the Syrian people have been subjected to pro-Baath government censorship and propaganda, e.g., chants schoolchildren are required to shout. Music, whether pro-Assad or pro-rebel, has stood as the ultimate tool of propaganda. In his work Among the Jasmine Trees, Jonathan Shannon describes a scene of censorship: a musician sings a pro-Baath song from the rooftops outside a restaurant while inside musicians play native songs in a lackluster manner. While he does not explicitly state it, this scene describes the censorship and artistic oppression by the Syrian regime.
Since the outbreak of revolution in 2011, musicians from both sides share a commonality in their personal stories. Each story contains a desire to freely express opinions and a fear of repercussions. I contend that the fear inflicted on the people for so many decades has repressed artistic expression in revolutionary music. This hint of fear is found either in the music itself or the comments spoken with double meanings by the musicians. My claim is evidenced through direct conversations in interviews with musicians; there is currently no literature on this topic. The fear found throughout the Syrian population is a defining aspect of the culture and it is important that the scholarly and ultimately global community is aware and understands this fear and the impact it has on Syrian music and musicians.
The Creation of Fear through Censorship: Repression of Artistic Freedom in the Music of the Syrian Revolution
Indianapolis, IN
الله, سورية, حرية, وبس "God, Syria, freedom, and that is all." This is a common chant sung by many Syrian voices expressing their differences with the Assad regime. For generations the Syrian people have been subjected to pro-Baath government censorship and propaganda, e.g., chants schoolchildren are required to shout. Music, whether pro-Assad or pro-rebel, has stood as the ultimate tool of propaganda. In his work Among the Jasmine Trees, Jonathan Shannon describes a scene of censorship: a musician sings a pro-Baath song from the rooftops outside a restaurant while inside musicians play native songs in a lackluster manner. While he does not explicitly state it, this scene describes the censorship and artistic oppression by the Syrian regime.
Since the outbreak of revolution in 2011, musicians from both sides share a commonality in their personal stories. Each story contains a desire to freely express opinions and a fear of repercussions. I contend that the fear inflicted on the people for so many decades has repressed artistic expression in revolutionary music. This hint of fear is found either in the music itself or the comments spoken with double meanings by the musicians. My claim is evidenced through direct conversations in interviews with musicians; there is currently no literature on this topic. The fear found throughout the Syrian population is a defining aspect of the culture and it is important that the scholarly and ultimately global community is aware and understands this fear and the impact it has on Syrian music and musicians.