SONGS OF RESISTANCE

Being one of the most fundamental forms of human expression, music reflects the belief systems and norms of a society, as well as the politics dominating the zeitgeist of an era. The Gezi Protests, which started as a reaction to the commercialization of urban spaces in Istanbul, mainly Gezi Park, were the response by a variety of different non-governmental actors to the increasing authoritarianism in Turkey. Gezi Park Protests created a paradigm shift in many fields of arts in Turkey ranging from musical activities to video activism. Actually, the political use of sound in Turkey in terms of slogans, music and sound making has excessively changed after the Gezi Park Protests (Kytö & Özgün, 2016). This project examines the songs of resistance that were composed and published during the Gezi protests and in the post-Gezi Era by focusing on how musical practices are shaped under authoritarian regimes and turn into a voice in contemporary urban space.




Part of 6. Berliner Herbstsalon GEZİ – TEN YEARS AFTER. Ein Prolog im Frühling.