Pop Cultural Music in Sierra Leone, is Creating Social Change and a New Political Identity for Its Youth
Pop cultural music in Sierra Leone, is creating social change and a new political identity for its youth
From the over capacitated concert halls in the energetic urban centers of Sierra Leone to the front lawns of its parliament buildings in Freetown, forward looking Sierra Leonean youth are making use of their newly founded freedoms of expression, which came to being in the aftermath of the nation’s brutal civil war to create social change. In these vibrant communities you can hear musicians and average citizens alike advocating for social change through the revolutionary content found in their music such as: “It is time to change. Sierra Leoneans, change your attitude. The eye is watching. It’s time to turn over a new page. Not time to damage, but time to manage.” (Tucker Boima 9)
This is an example of a popular chant which would be heard from supporters of the ousted opposition party who are keen on reminding their newly elected government leaders of the neglected promises that were made during the elections and to be attentive to the concerns of its citizens or else prepare to be voted out. In this paper I will argue why Pop-cultural music in Sierra Leone, is creating social change and a new political identity for its youth. This topic is important because it helps to build an understanding of why marginalized youth are at the forefront of social change in Sierra Leone and how through pop cultural music they do not have to be directly involved in the government to have a direct effect on its policies. In my paper I address these critically unacknowledged issues and more by analyzing how advances in media and digital technology have allowed urban youth music to become more accessible to the public, how youth are creating a new identity for themselves by expressing their political views through non-violent means such as musical content, how youth have found an increase of public spaces to conduct their freedom of expressions in post-civil war Sierra
From the over capacitated concert halls in the energetic urban centers of Sierra Leone to the front lawns of its parliament buildings in Freetown, forward looking Sierra Leonean youth are making use of their newly founded freedoms of expression, which came to being in the aftermath of the nation’s brutal civil war to create social change. In these vibrant communities you can hear musicians and average citizens alike advocating for social change through the revolutionary content found in their music such as: “It is time to change. Sierra Leoneans, change your attitude. The eye is watching. It’s time to turn over a new page. Not time to damage, but time to manage.” (Tucker Boima 9)
This is an example of a popular chant which would be heard from supporters of the ousted opposition party who are keen on reminding their newly elected government leaders of the neglected promises that were made during the elections and to be attentive to the concerns of its citizens or else prepare to be voted out. In this paper I will argue why Pop-cultural music in Sierra Leone, is creating social change and a new political identity for its youth. This topic is important because it helps to build an understanding of why marginalized youth are at the forefront of social change in Sierra Leone and how through pop cultural music they do not have to be directly involved in the government to have a direct effect on its policies. In my paper I address these critically unacknowledged issues and more by analyzing how advances in media and digital technology have allowed urban youth music to become more accessible to the public, how youth are creating a new identity for themselves by expressing their political views through non-violent means such as musical content, how youth have found an increase of public spaces to conduct their freedom of expressions in post-civil war Sierra