When Barack Obama was to be sworn in as the first black President of the United States of America, the stars were happy. Bruce Springsteen, the man who has fought for the working man’s rights, took to the stage at Obama’s inauguration, proud that his country had made the right choice. Beyonce was thrilled too. Even Bono and U2 were content to see a man with convictions they treasured.
And that’s what Donald Trump’s January 20 inauguration has turned out to be — a battle of convictions. Top musicians have refused to perform because they feel Trump’s policies run opposite to their convictions. And music, as much as it is about melody, is about lyrics and stories. These musicians carry a message in their songs — of peace and anti-discrimination.
Forty-eight years ago, about 400,000 people gathered at Bethel to savour music at one of its finest. Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Grateful Dead, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin — the stars were all there. But Woodstock was also a festival that celebrated peace and love and protested against war — the Vietnam War.
In 1985, musicians pulled together and performed in London and Philadelphia after a call was made by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to help raise money for the victims of the Ethiopian famine. The Rolling Stones, Queen, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin mesmerised at Live Aid. Joan Baez told the crowd this was their Woodstock, it was long overdue.
But on January 20, the stars will not shine. Only country singers Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood have agreed to perform. Country music is popular with white Americans in the south, Trump’s stronghold. Broadway singer Jennifer Holliday, a Hillary Clinton supporter, agreed to sing in the nation’s interests, but had to withdraw after severe criticism. Once again, music has struck a political chord. That single note is conviction.
