Pop-M-S @ 2058

So the white man came and took away the brown babies and the stolen generation was thus created. Where is the line between commercialising an event and giving it due coverage? When an Aboriginal country singer records a song, hit it big, though his/her songs will be political by default because of their skin colour and heritage, will his/her songs have apolitical, apathetic lyrics because well, it is commercial?

The question of "selling out" is so arbitrary, so ambivalent. And it's relevant not just to the musician but also to the writer and every one who is an artist.

I've made my peace. I believe - this will sound Matrix-y - that to beat the system, you have to be in the system. And to retain integrity in yourself and your work, you have to master the system and play by its rules so well so that you can twist and manipulate it your way eventually.

So if an Aboriginal country singer has to release a "cleaned up" version of a political song, well, swallow it because that song - sanitised or not - will still make an impact and create awareness. Because the singer in himself/ herself is a political message in his/her body and mere existence itself.
- posted by sg girl @ 8:57 pm
 

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