domination and the coercion and specific objects of Bob Marley and The Black Brothers’ critiques a better understanding of social and political reality is
necessary. In order to understand why sounds and words of their lyrics have been arranged in a certain way, we must understand the context within which their
composition seemed meaningful and urgent. Following is the analysis of the Bob Marley and the Black Brothers lyrics to figure out the hidden transcript by also
seeing the context of socio-political background.
2. Bob Marley and The Black Brothers Music and Song as Counter-Dominant Power Alternative
Power domination may effectively suppress the subordinate or
underprivileged groups, but in reverse it may also foster the resistance among the groups. Despite of the explicit and implicit domination of tyrant, the
counter-dominant power alternatives can and do exist.
4
People began to raise both arm physical revolts as well as non-physical rebellions. The Maroons Jamaica
and OPM guerrilla Papua are both a form of physical resistance. However, due to the lack of military tactics and aids they were both shifted their method to
non-physical struggles. This can be seen in the emerge of movements which emphasize on raising cultural and political awareness and mobilization of the
people such as United Negro Improvement Association UNIA, Rastafarianism in Jamaica and Koreri in Papua, West New Guinea Council and OPM international
campaigns for Papua. In addition, the writer assumes that the shifting was strongly influenced by the involvement of intellectuals or academicians, religious leaders
4
Jacobs, Steven. Rebel Music from Trenchtown to Oaktown: The Lyrics of Bob Marley and Tupac Shakur as Counter-hegemonic Culture,
post graduate thesis, University of Florida, 2009, p. 14.
and musicians who tend to favor a non-violence resistance. As what is intended by this study, the writer will focus on the involvement of musicians in the struggles
against power domination through their music and songs. In an effort to break with the colonial past or dealing with brutal
oppressive system music and song seem to be one of promising solutions. As what is suggested by Metz on memoria passionis” that the social memory of the
hardship flows through the mouths of the people. It is in this sense that the writer assumes music and song can function as the language to voice it. Jamaica and
Papua culture are basically developed through oral tradition. The history is preserved through folklores, folksongs, music and dance. In Jamaica these
traditions were preserved in many ways by the slaves.
5
While in Papua they have long been rooted deep in peoples culture.
6
Music and language are closely affiliated possess considerable historical and geo-cultural depth.They resemble
myth, religious rituals, and facilitate movements or dance. They can serve as a window into people’s history and perceived realities.
7
As the global music grew, in seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the links between music and rhetoric were
frequently acknowledged.
8
In popular music scene, the emphasis is on music as culture and it function as the bearer of meanings.
9
Therefore, language plays an important role. Basically music and words coexist through song. Song is word
oriented where the effort is to apply verbal principles to music where words are
5
Worth, David Steven. Rastaman Vibration: The Rhetoric of Bob Marley, p. 6.
6
Aditjondro, George Junus. Cahaya Bintang Kejora, pp. 115-120.
7
Skopal, Edward, Jr. Hear Them Crying Rastafari and Framing Processes in Reggae Music, p. 6.
8
Agawu, Kofi. Music as Discourse: Semiotic Adventures in Romantic Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 15.
9
Johnson, Bruce and Cloonan, Martin. Dark Side of the Tune: Popular Music and Violence. USA: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2009, p. 13.
carefully chosen to accompany music.
10
Most people define the meaning of a song based on its lyrics. In the light of music as a rhetoric and discourse, it can be
conceptualized that music is a vehicle that carries words, making them memorable through an appealing tune.
11
In dealing with power domination or hegemony, music and song can have political significance regarding their ability to influence people’s identity as well
as motivation and capacity to act. They provide a template for ethical social action to those who truly listen to the music.
12
Despite the fact that there is no empirical evidence that lyrics of a song affect or reflect listeners beliefs and values, yet they
can act as an avenue of expression that connect with and articulate a listeners own feelings.
13
Jamaica independent in 1962 was coincidently with the advent of Jamaican distinctive popular musics Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggae which also
helped to promote Rastafarianism movement. The combination of popular music, politics and social movements had become the force in shaping a collective
national consciousness.
14
Through the birth of popular music and Rastafarianism, they manifest as a language of protest and become the loudest voice against
oppressive system. While in Papua, the political scandals in 1963 and 1969 had led to a long time disputes that had fostered the Papuan sentiment and nationalism.
The emerge of popular music and song had given the people means of voicing their concern and criticism. In relation to Metz’ theory of memory passionis,
10
Agawu, Kofi. Music as Discourse: Semiotic Adventures in Romantic Music, p. 17.
11
Jacobs, Steven. Rebel Music from Trenchtown to Oaktown: The Lyrics of Bob Marley and Tupac Shakur as Counter-hegemonic Culture,
p. 15.
12
Skopal, Edward, Jr. Hear Them Crying Rastafari and Framing Processes in Reggae Music, pp. 45.
13
Jacobs, Steven. Rebel Music from Trenchtown to Oaktown: The Lyrics of Bob Marley and Tupac Shakur as Counter-hegemonic Culture,
p. 15.
14
Freeland, Gregory. Music and the Rise of Caribbean Nationalism: The Jamaican Case, a paper to Department of Political Science, California Lutheran University, p. 3. Web. May 2
nd
. 2014. http:culturaldiplomacy.orgMusic-and-the-Rise-of-Caribbean-Nationalism-Gregory-Freeland.pdfe280
8e.
music and song to Papuans are the voice and the language of long term memory of the hardships. These forms of artistic resistance provide the opportunity for
discourse about alternative political realities, as well as to give emotive articulation to them, and the importance of such expression cannot be
overstated.
15
3. Bob Marley and The Black Black Brothers’ Songs as the Language of Resistance
