Words which shaped history

Words which shaped history

As a human we all love dance and music. There are songs for childbirth, childhood, love, marriage, even well-crafted songs for death, patriotic and anti war. There are songs composed for victory or grief. Use of song and dance tradition goes back to Aristotle. He started using the songs in tragedy. It was more to express the emotions and showcase the conflicts of human life. British, German drama realized the importance of music. 18th century witnessed the amalgam of music and poetry. Songs like, C’est la lute finale, Groupons-nous et demain, L’internationale and Sera le genre humain created history. Eugene Edine Pottire a poet and French socialist penned L’internationale, which later became anthem of socialist organizations.

Hitler promoted Wagner his opponents watched cabaret. Cabaret was in Germany from the beginning of 19th century. It is an art-form which offers entertainment with a satirical and political bent on social milieu. It was practiced with cutting edge artistic skills; it fueled social movements such as Dadaism, Social expressionisum, Neue Sachlichkeit (new objectivity), German cabaret influenced by French cabaret which was a vehicle for political satire.

Malika Sarabhai dance for democracy, there are many singers and dancers in our country who dance and sing for democracy. There is a famous notion about some countries in Asian continent who shun dance and music. It is a misnomer; they often dance and wave their shoulders with bollywood’s latest films and music.

Anti war singer Pete Seeger gave us two of his famous songs against injustice and war- We shall overcome, and where have all the flowers gone? In 1940 he cut his songs and they become the theme song of American labor activist party. Anti-war ballads of Seeger embarrassed Nazi.

Bankim Chandra Chattergy penned most moving composition of India Vande Mataram and most V D Paluskar sang it. Tagore composed Sri Lankan anthem- Namo Namo Mata.

            Victor Jara a Chilean teacher, poet, singer and songwriter. Víctor’s music narrates a strange and amazing story. Pinochet’s government ordered the destruction of Víctor’s records, music and writings. Unfortunately EMI Records followed Pinochet’s advice and destroyed their recordings of Víctor’s. His story, words, voice and contribution to the cultural and political Left are today an inspiration across the world. He is regarded as a hero in Chilean culture and a symbol of resistance against fascism. He was arrested and brutally murdered.

It is worth making a note how music and dance has shaped our culture, history and philosophy. The murky politics is and shrewd politicians are scared of literature. It is the wits and words of writers which shaped and cultivated generations of humans. Technology, politics, religion and fascism has lost their battle against worlds. William Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, Victor Hugo, Y B Yeats, Pope, Satre, Camus to Pablo Neruda took us beyond any religion, country or any limitation.

I rest my claim with the lines of Pablo Neruda

 “I am because you are…you are, I am, we are, and through love I will be, you will be, we will be.”