Everybody's Got a Right to Live
I came across the strangeness of ownership in regard to musical traditions in my readings this morning. The lineage of historians in Mali are based on the knowledge passed down from prior generations and scholars. In this case, the griot, (see here for more context on the griot and their role in West Africa) is not just a singer of folk traditions, but someone who communicates a very specific set of historical stories and genealogies. In other words, they sing covers. It struck me as significant because of the folk traditions in America, and how many of them are based on original content. Singers like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Phil Ochs built their audiences and the modern American folk singer upon new content, and the telling of current events of their time, or past events as they related to their current situations. This distinction makes the music of the griot incredibly important in its role of transmitting the past.
Our own traditions of playing covers is often the path through which musicians gain agency in presenting their worldview. Pete Seeger may have ownership over the creation of his music, but the power of Fredrick Kirkpatrick’s rendition brought the song (Everybody’s Got the Right to Live) to life. The partnerships established in music through its sharing and passing ownership creates an intricate weave of human history, and it is this tapestry that travels the globe through its migrations. I am slowly tracing back the history of the Sorrow Songs of the people held in bondage in the Americas to the bards, storytellers and historians of the Mandela, Senegalese, and other nations of Africa. These Sorrow Songs that would evolve into gospel, blues and eventually rock n’ roll are part of the world stage of music that we all live in today.
I’m saddened that I can’t find more singing in the protest marches. I read that today the three major recording labels (yes, only three major recording labels now exists, but that’s an article for another day) are declaring a “blackout”, which I’m not sure I understand. From what I can gather it’s calling for cancelation of new releases and concerts. I thought concerts had been cancelled anyways, and I don’t understand why artists wouldn’t want to share George Floyd’s story and the supporters of Black Lives Matter through song right now. It’s not communicated very well in the reporting, so I’m cautious to criticize, but it occurs to me that it is much harder to be apart when we are singing together. One of the most heartwarming videos I watched this morning was the Mennonites singing praise songs in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter marches. Those voices were the sounds of love.
I hope that songwriters are busy at work right now, cataloguing and scripting new lyrics to tell the story of humanity in the beginning of the 21st century. It’s connections to events of the past 400 years in the Americas, its rich roots to the old worlds of Europe and Africa, and its reverberations and impact on the billions of people living today. Perhaps the griot of West Africa can bring the kora to the world stage and help us remember how to sing the history of people, the world people, and how they fought so hard for each other, against oppression, against injustice, and against the murder of our fellows.
Here is Fredrick and Jimmy singing Pete Seager’s “Everybody’s Got a Right to Live”. I hope their music inspires you to create your own songs of hope, freedom, and love in this week of coming together.