GOAt Program

CHANGING THE TUNE OF A NATION: MUSIC AS A POLITICAL FORCE

Music is a source of entertainment and personal inspiration, but can also carry a great deal of influential power in politics and national identity. From hip-hop artists in Africa and Iran, to the Muslim punk movement “Taqwacore,” to the rock songs and ballads that inspired supporters of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, music has shown it can unite people in order to incite change. Even closer to home, the songs chosen to accompany U.S. presidential rallies say much about the relationship between music and politics. Join the The Chicago Council’s GOAt program as it brings together a panel of international musicians and experts to discuss just how songs can provoke people to work towards better futures for their nations and communities.

Please join the GOAt audience in welcoming the experts to the Sonotheque stage to discuss this important issue…

Baay Musa, hip-hop artist, Dakar, Senegal (featured in the documentary “Democracy in Dakar”)