#protest-music

#protest-music

First, they take up It Was Just an Accident, the Cannes Palme d'Or-winning film by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. Inspired in part by Panahi's own experience being imprisoned for critiquing the Iranian government, his new film-made in secret from the regime- holds back little in its sharp political critique, rage, and... a surprising amount of comedy. Not surprising in its amount of comedy- but maybe in its frequently anti-authoritarian politics-is Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!

On Jan. 28, 2026, Bruce Springsteen released "Streets of Minneapolis," a hard-hitting protest against the immigration enforcement surge in the city, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The song is all over social media, and the official video has already been streamed more than 5 million times. It's hard to remember a time when a major artist has released a song in the midst of a specific political crisis.

Photographer Janette Beckman and curator Julie Grahame have organized a one time fundraiser for the ACLU that showcases images of musicians who have recorded protest songs or are known for their activism. Forty-three photographers have donated images of 50 artists, from John Lennon to Nina Simone to Bad Bunny, and 100% of the profits will go towards the ACLU and their efforts to protect equality, freedom and rights.

That also applies to the elder ones! We're not sitting around knitting and playing Canasta. You've read about my new musical venture in a previous article. The short version is that we've started a new chorus for Q+ Elders and Allies: the Portland Sage Singers. We only started last February. But, off we went, faster than any of our aging legs could carry us.

“Racist as you're full of hate, why don't you go straight to hell, goes the chorus. The song, La Cumbia de la Migra, belongs to Los Jornaleros del Norte, a group of migrant musicians who for 30 years have accompanied marches and strikes in Los Angeles with guitars, drums, and an unwavering conviction: to sing in order to survive. Omar Leon (Michoacan, 1976), the group's keyboardist, accordionist, and composer, doesn't consider himself a star.”

The word "revolution" tends to conjure images of protests, rage, bloodshed, reshaped borders or toppled despots. But a look at the history of revolutions sometimes reveals a "mellower" aftermath: songs birthed in turmoil, which have stood the test of time. Across centuries and continents, political and social upheaval have seen songs being composed either during an uprising or repurposed from folk traditions into tunes of resistance.

One of the Arab world's most influential contemporary artists is coming to Campbell's Heritage Theatre on Sept. 7. Hamza Namira is an Egyptian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music rose to prominence during the 25 January revolution in 2011, a day of nonviolent protests against increasing police brutality during the last few years of Hosni Mubarak's presidency. Namira participated in the demonstrations and was considered the Voice of the Revolution. His music is marked by sociopolitical themes.

At Glastonbury, Kneecap transformed controversy into art. They challenged media narratives, advocated for Palestine, and performed with an energy that resonated deeply with their audience.