Politics in music as an ideology of liberationMusic, Politics and Liberation... back in the 60s ?Across countries, hundreds of thousands gather to be a part of performances that are known in certain circles for their explosive energy and uplifting spirit. Yet this music, not to be confused with popular music that measures its success by radio charts, moves people more than physically. Gogol Bordello and Calle 13: two bands, two music collectives of seemingly different cultural and geographical backgrounds, have engaged young people in a political discourse on anarchy and the need to question expressions of cultural domination and other types of oppression. These bands have reclaimed the power to unite people around radical ideas.

Gogol Bordellos self-proclaimed mission is to provoke audience out of post-modern aesthetic swamp onto a neo-optimistic communal movement towards new sources of authentic energy. As a gypsy punk band, Gogol Bordello unites energies that stem from different cultures and advocates freedom of the movement of peopleoftentimes singing about discrimination against the Roma population. Eugene Htz, the driving force of the band, is of Roma heritage himself and came to the US as a refugee.

The theme of immigration contains stereotypes as well as the celebration of multiculturalism, yet celebrating it by actually living it, and sharing its unique creations. Another point in Gogol Bordellos mission is to disprove the statement loved by post-modernists: Everything has been done before. It is safe to say that their music indeed questions that assumption.

A call to change the system by becoming more genuine, a call to live more fully and break the rules imposed by society are political themes that another group, Calle 13, often plant in their songs. This Puerto Rican rapper mostly known for his satire mocks both the cultural Westernization of Latin America and the street gang mentality, juxtaposing it with actual problems: Si la gente del Congo hubiese tenido tus oportunidades, estaran graduados de las mejores universidades (If the people of Congo had had your opportunities they would be graduating from the best universities).

In one of Calle 13s songs, Amrica Latina, they poetically portray various misfortunes of the continent, while at the same time emphasizing the unbreakable nature of the peoples spirit. At the end of the song Ren Prez, the vocalist, mentions Operation Condor, a CIA program that provided support to right-wing dictatorships in most of the countries in Latin America. Perpetuation of the existing order of things is perpetuation of the crime once wrote recently departed Eduardo Galeano, who Prez had the luck to meet. Breaking that order to bring about liberation is what Calle 13 calls for using their clever lyrics and fresh combination of beats.

Ultimately, both Calle 13 and Gogol Bordello rebel against the (anti)values dictated by the Capitalist System. Without ever forgetting to laugh at themselves, they critique the existing paradigm and ask their audiences for perhaps the bravest political act of all: to be more free.