Songs sung by a group, a crowd, give passion and heart to action,
creating a collective memory. In 2022, Éditions du Détour published a
book entitled *En Lutte! Carnet de chants* (In Struggle! Songbook). This
book brought together historical songs and more recent ones. They all
share the common thread of being songs of struggle. In those times
before the internet and cell phones, when mobilization was expressed
through enthusiasm, people sang. They are now repeating this experience
with the same group of historians and teachers. It should be noted that
they run the blog *L'histgeobox*, where they offer analyses of more than
400 songs within their historical context. The book is titled *Siamo
tutti antifascisti* (We are all antifascists) with the subtitle
*Chantons contre l'oppression* (Let's Sing Against Oppression). Often,
an event is the catalyst for writing a book. The 2024 legislative
elections in France highlighted the rise of the far right, which is not
limited to a few parliamentary seats. They also showed that alliances
between the traditional right and extremist movements were accepted by
both party machines and activists. Voters are no longer hiding; sinister
impulses are being unleashed. The authors of the book use a slogan from
the 1920s, chanted in Italy, as their title, and three raised fists are
displayed on the cover. Everyone can see the threat and the spread of
far-right ideas around the world, whether shamelessly or in disguised,
camouflaged forms.
The fight against oppression is not new. So, people sing, they support
each other, they comfort one another. Authoritarian powers seek to
control and suppress dissent. "Some artists take refuge behind metaphors
and double entendres to outmaneuver and outmaneuver the censors." Social
media is under particular scrutiny. Methods change, authoritarianism
doesn't, but protest also knows how to adapt. And the authors express
their hope that "other fists will be raised to sing against oppression."
"Other fists will be raised"
25 songs are selected for this book. The oldest dates back to 1791, and
the most recent, titled Barayé, comes to us from Tehran in 2022. Some
are familiar, such as El Paso del Ebro, the song of the marshes, Bella
Ciao, La complainte du partisan, El pueblo unido jamás será vencido...
Others evoke segregation, like Nina Simone's Mississippi Goddam.
Sometimes songs conceal their message, like Le sire de Fisch-ton-can
against Napoleon III.
The lyrics and music are sometimes forgotten. One of the contributions
of this book is to bring them back into the public eye. The lyrics are
provided, and the context in which the songs were written is very well
explained by the authors. For example, Maxime Le Forestier's song
"Parachutiste" (Paratrooper) faced repression and censorship from the
official media. A radio program featuring the singer on Europe 1 in the
1970s was even interrupted by far-right thugs. Other songs reflect the
ongoing struggles. Freedoms are not a reality in Egypt, despite "Irhal,"
which dates from 2011. The fight is also hard in Mexico against threats
from the United States, as illustrated by the song "La Adelita." What
future lies ahead in South Africa with "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna"?
These songs come from all over the world and have been around for over
two centuries. They express the yearning of women and men for freedom
and dignity.
* Etienne Augris, Julien Blottière, Jean-Christophe Diedrich, Véronique
Servat
Siamo tutti antifascisti
Chantons contre l'oppression (We Are All Antifascists)
Ed. du Détour, 2025
https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8692
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
creating a collective memory. In 2022, Éditions du Détour published a
book entitled *En Lutte! Carnet de chants* (In Struggle! Songbook). This
book brought together historical songs and more recent ones. They all
share the common thread of being songs of struggle. In those times
before the internet and cell phones, when mobilization was expressed
through enthusiasm, people sang. They are now repeating this experience
with the same group of historians and teachers. It should be noted that
they run the blog *L'histgeobox*, where they offer analyses of more than
400 songs within their historical context. The book is titled *Siamo
tutti antifascisti* (We are all antifascists) with the subtitle
*Chantons contre l'oppression* (Let's Sing Against Oppression). Often,
an event is the catalyst for writing a book. The 2024 legislative
elections in France highlighted the rise of the far right, which is not
limited to a few parliamentary seats. They also showed that alliances
between the traditional right and extremist movements were accepted by
both party machines and activists. Voters are no longer hiding; sinister
impulses are being unleashed. The authors of the book use a slogan from
the 1920s, chanted in Italy, as their title, and three raised fists are
displayed on the cover. Everyone can see the threat and the spread of
far-right ideas around the world, whether shamelessly or in disguised,
camouflaged forms.
The fight against oppression is not new. So, people sing, they support
each other, they comfort one another. Authoritarian powers seek to
control and suppress dissent. "Some artists take refuge behind metaphors
and double entendres to outmaneuver and outmaneuver the censors." Social
media is under particular scrutiny. Methods change, authoritarianism
doesn't, but protest also knows how to adapt. And the authors express
their hope that "other fists will be raised to sing against oppression."
"Other fists will be raised"
25 songs are selected for this book. The oldest dates back to 1791, and
the most recent, titled Barayé, comes to us from Tehran in 2022. Some
are familiar, such as El Paso del Ebro, the song of the marshes, Bella
Ciao, La complainte du partisan, El pueblo unido jamás será vencido...
Others evoke segregation, like Nina Simone's Mississippi Goddam.
Sometimes songs conceal their message, like Le sire de Fisch-ton-can
against Napoleon III.
The lyrics and music are sometimes forgotten. One of the contributions
of this book is to bring them back into the public eye. The lyrics are
provided, and the context in which the songs were written is very well
explained by the authors. For example, Maxime Le Forestier's song
"Parachutiste" (Paratrooper) faced repression and censorship from the
official media. A radio program featuring the singer on Europe 1 in the
1970s was even interrupted by far-right thugs. Other songs reflect the
ongoing struggles. Freedoms are not a reality in Egypt, despite "Irhal,"
which dates from 2011. The fight is also hard in Mexico against threats
from the United States, as illustrated by the song "La Adelita." What
future lies ahead in South Africa with "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna"?
These songs come from all over the world and have been around for over
two centuries. They express the yearning of women and men for freedom
and dignity.
* Etienne Augris, Julien Blottière, Jean-Christophe Diedrich, Véronique
Servat
Siamo tutti antifascisti
Chantons contre l'oppression (We Are All Antifascists)
Ed. du Détour, 2025
https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8692
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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