Music and social movements: a literature review

¶ … Songs of Tahrir" video supports all four of Danaher's main claims in "Music and Social Movements." The video depicts several musicians who were at the forefront of the Tahrir Square social protests in Egypt, integral to the Arab Spring. Different types of musicians from multiple genres and generations all participated in the Tahrir Square protests, risking their lives in order to foment the peaceful social revolution. The video shows how music was in fact integral to the social movement of the Arab Spring as it unfolded in Egypt in Tahrir Square. In particular, the "Songs of Tahrir Square" video shows how music creates a shared consciousness and shared identity built around a commitment to peaceful change and democratic revolution. The video also shows how music inspires emotions, which are often collective emotions necessary to attract people to the movement and retain those who are already a part of it. Furthermore, the video shows how music is central to the movement takes place within the "free spaces" that are both symbolic and physical like Tahrir Square itself. Finally, the video also shows how music creates and sustains the group's unique subculture.

In terms of creating a shared identity, clearly the musicians depicted in the video helped to solidify the shared identity that was being developed during the revolution in Tahrir Square. When musicians were playing in public, the crowd sang and clapped along. The music helped to define their identities as Egyptians committed to social and political change. According to Danaher, the shared identity is "formed when groups seeking social change share common ideological, normative, and cultural goals," (812). In the case with Egypt, the protesters certainly shared ideological goals of ousting Mubarak and ushering in a new form of democratic government. Another aspect of shared identity is shared grievances, according to Danaher and those shared grievances were symbolized by the effigy hanging and the references to Mubarak. Shared grievances were expressed musically through the song "Beat it! Beat it!" which was expressly about Mubarak.

There is considerable emotional content in the protest movement, as the people are passionate about social and political change. They care about each other and their country. Therefore, emotions are integral to the success of social protest movements. Emotions are also integral to music. When music and social protest are combined, the results can be highly effective as emotions have an effect on crowd psychology (Danaher 813). Because the emotions generated through the music in Tahrir Square were uplifting, optimistic, and positive, the protests remained peaceful. Emotions are not only present because of the music, the emotions also have "rational and goal oriented components," such as generating activism and social change (Danaher 813). Through shared experiences of emotion, people experience empathy and feel a sense of community solidarity and shared identity as well. As Danaher points out, music and the emotions it generates can be used to motivate people to put group interest over self. This may be why the musicians depicted in the video were willing to risk their lives by protesting through song.

The physical space of Tahrir Square became transformed into the symbolic space in which protest could take place both freely and safely. Within the "free space zone, the protesters were able to criticize the government in ways they could not do in any other domain. Even the soldiers simply stared when the musician sang directly at him, looking into his eyes. Thus, Tahrir Square became elevated to an almost sacred space, in which the protest catalyzed meaningful change in the country. The stages and impromptu jams taking place inside the square retained the physical and symbolic space.

Finally, "The Songs of Tahrir" also demonstrates the culture of social movements. As with other subcultures, the social movement in Tahrir Square has its own norms and values such as a commitment to peaceful protest and democratic change. The actors in this movement, including the featured musicians, were "pushing for social change," as Danaher puts it (817). Yet they were not doing so anarchically. The musicians played in an organized fashion, committed to shared values and social norms. They behaved peacefully and played on a stage in an organized way within the boundaries of specific rules. By conforming to the norms of the social movement subculture, the musicians elevated their craft into what Danaher calls "meaning-making activity" (817). This is the point at which music becomes more than music, and the songs take on a political and social meaning, perhaps even a spiritual one.