As we have continued the semester, one of the themes we have frequently talked about regarding post-1959 Cuba is limited freedom of expression. In the materials you are preparing for Monday, you will read and hear some views about the alternative music scene in today's Cuba. We will talk about the hip hop and rap scene in class and hear what some of the underground artists have to say about their own music.
For your posting, consider the importance of music in terms of freedom of expression. Why is music so crucial? What does music --as opposed to other forms of expression-- allow one to express?
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I am not sure what exactly it is that makes expression through music different from the various other means of expression. However, I find music to be universal. It is the one form of expression that does not contain any barriers. The most important barrier is language. Despite its unique unification ability, this form of communication can separate individuals who do not speak the same language. Interestingly, this phenomenon does not occur with music; music posses a distinct quality that connects listeners to a song’s meaning. Whether it is the instruments, the singer’s tone, the rhythm’s speed or the choice of emphasis, listeners are able to comprehend a song’s meaning whether or not they understand the exact wording.
Music has a way of connecting different groups of people together. It also works very well as a form of expression. Music should have no boundaries or limitations, which means anyone can contribute their own into music to express themselves. This is seen with the many different types of genres of music out there. Music allows people to express anything they want. Music is crucial because everyone can share it. It can easily be distributed through word of mouth. Ever have a catchy song in your head and not realized you were singing the lyrics out loud. Someone else might hear it and it may be stuck in their head.
Music is something that is very powerful and when listened to closely conveys a message. Music is a form of language that we see throughout all parts of the world. Music has many different beats and rhythms which all contribute to the message and feeling the artist wants to convey. Music is clearly a form of expression and is crucial to the way many people live. Through music one can express their most intimate and deep emotions that they would not do if they were giving a speech. Music is a world within itself that has many different origins and that is what makes it so beautiful. Music is also crucial to ones way of life. Music can be seen as a pastime, a cure, or even way of reminiscing. Music allows people to express things that other forms of expression does not. For example, one can express many emotions and and it does not have to make sense because it can be random and what they feel at the moment. Music does not have to be structured or does not have boundaries. What music allows for is expression through instruments, which is vital to what we take in from the music. Instruments convey messages within themselves. In other forms of expression there are no instruments and the emotion that one may trying to express may not be complete. Music is a connections between thoughts and emotions, it is a way of freedom.
Music often invokes powerful emotions in people. The combination of the beat, lyrics, and instruments—as opposed to only the lyrics—may strongly affect them, whether they are singing or listening to the song. Many people understand the power of music and choose to channel their emotions and convictions through this medium because listeners may tend to feel much the same way after having listened to such compelling music. This form of expression can reach anyone around the globe and create an emotion within that person. The beat and lyrics are universal, and the language of the lyrics can be translated to virtually any language. Music can travel so freely, yet barriers such as censorship often stop it from reaching certain groups of people. While censorship is a large factor inhibiting the ability of music to reach a worldwide audience, the power of music is undeniable.
Music is an extremely important form of expression because it allows the author of the music to express something he or she may not have expressed otherwise. It is crucial because it is such a worldly use of language today. It opens people up to more language as well as cultures and can be used to bring people together. A great example of this is in the movie Habana Blues. Ruy’s lyrics shared things about Cuba and the government that could normally never be spoken in everyday conversation. However he could be freer in his lyrics and used his songs to express his true feelings. Music also can be universal because it bridges the language barrier. You can listen to a song in any language and usually get the gist of the words by the melody. As for myself I love listening to music in Spanish even with my semi-understanding of it. I think this goes for many others as well.
One can learn a great deal about the state of a country’s freedom of speech climate from how vibrant that nation’s music scene is. This is due in large part to the outspoken nature of musicians, as well as the often provocative or politically charged music they create. In societies enjoying relatively high amounts of freedom of speech, these characteristics of musicians are appreciated or encouraged, yet are suppressed or even outlawed in nations not supportive of criticism or dissent. This situation was clearly evident in the film Habana Blues, where Ruy and his band, though they have a deep love for Cuba, were forced to endure a great deal of resistance from a government deeming the message of their rock music to be unproductive and indicative of subversion against the regime.
Music allows people to express their opinions in very subtle ways. Through music, the youth and the oppressed find avenues of expression and dissent. Music is also one of the forms of expression that is most widespread in today's society and this enables artists to influence the opinions of vast audiences. The Cuban government can easily filter what is shown on television, the internet, newspapers, and books, but it has much less control over what kind of music the population listens to. Lyrics are often not explicit in their dissent of the establishment which makes them much harder to censor.
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