CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1.Background of the Study
Song is soul expression through the art of music. As an expression of soul, a song has a specific meaning in the lyric intended by the author and it is influenced by author's feeling.An author can write whatever he feels in a form of lyric. Songsare also common things in people daily life, becausesongs can entertain the people. It is whyeasy for us to hear it everywhere. But sometimes, song is also used in spiritual ceremony or as an identity for something.For example, we can find some traditional culture such Bataknese, the tribe uses song in the death ritual, or such Christians sings religious song for praying, and also every country or state has special song such national anthem as the identity of nation.
In a song, we can find lyrics which arebeautiful and meaningful and makes its listeners more interestedto hear. Through a song, a message in the lyric can be more attractive to be accepted by its listeners. So, the song can be used as a medium to convey a message of the author, neither for themselves nor for others.
Today, songis not only anentertainment or an element of ritualceremony among the people. Song canbe impacts variously on its listeners.More than soul expression, song can be used as medium to criticize, to protest, to persuade, or even to warn people. In the 20th century, many great musiciansare famous with their phenomenal songwhich many tells about criticism or protest. For example, we know some musicians such as Bob Dylan from USA, IwanFalsfrom Indonesia, and Bob Marley from Jamaica famous with theirs critical and protest songs which motivates and inspires the people all over the world. Especially for Bob Marley, he is a great musician and also an icon for freedom and liberation.
Marley spent his earliest years in the village of Nine Mile in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. His father’s name is Norval Sinclair Marley and his mother’s name is Cedella Booker. His father wasEuropean-Jamaican and his mother was African-Jamaican. Marley left Nine Mile with his mother when he was 12 years and moved t
In Trench Town, hefound himself in a vocal group with Bunny Wailer, instruments at that time, and were more interested being a vocal harmony group. In 1963, they formed The Wailing Wailers and their frien Braithwaite, Kelso, and Smith had left The Wailers, leaving the trio of Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh. The band's name changed several times before they finally settled on The Wailers
In 1966, Marley married in and at a beliefs in the 1960s, when stay away from his mother's influence. After return to Jamaica from USA, Marley formally converted to Rastafari and began to grow dreadlocks. Marley was a member for some years of the Rastafari.
Rastafari is an African-centric religion which was developed in 1930s in Jamaica. Rastafari developed among poor and oppressed Jamaicans. The follower of this religion is called Rasta or Rastaman. The Rastaman believes that Haile Selassie I is God. Haile Selassie I was born in 1892 and died in 1975. He was an emperor of Ethiopia since 1930 until 1974. The name Rastafari is taken from Ras Tafaria, Ras means the title and Tafaria is the first name of Haile Selassie I before his coronation. In Amharic, Ras, literally means head, it is an Ethiopian title equivalent to prince or chief, while the personal given name Tafari or Teferi means one who is respected or feared.
dominated and has committed such acts of aggression against Blacks people. Baskara (2008: 35) says, “Rastafari adalah ‘agama’ yang bersinggungan dengan eksistensi kaum kulit hitam, masa lampau Afrika, juga kebebasan”. (Rastafari is ‘religion’ related to Blacks’s existence,
the past time of Africa, also freedom). From the statement above, it is clear that the Rastafari has close relationship with the stories about the freedom.
World history was recorded that human being had horrible experience when racial issues and colonialism occurred on the world. Of course, the racism and colonialism are not suitable to human rights and equality. According to the history, these systems cannot be separated from the history of slavery.In fact, the slavery system is an ancient labor system known by humanity. This can be proved by few points of slavery in the Code of Hammurabi which was made around 1760 BC. It says to be determined death for anyone who helped slaves to escape or who protect fugitives. The slavery was known in almost every ancient civilization, including Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and the Hebrew Kingdoms.
According to the fact above, the slavery was not only done to Blacks or Africans descent, but also to other races including Americans native, and Asians. Ancheta (1998: 4) states,
“The civil unrest in Los Angles in 1992 is just one example of the intricacy of contemporary racial dynamics, shedding light on a host of race-based and class-based conflicts, as well as an array of racial and ethnic groups – Blacks, Whites, Asians, Latinos – who were both victims and victimizers”.
The slavery system has broad impacts on human mindset about equality and justice. The system covers all aspects of life throughout prosperity, education, and religion. This condition is exacerbated by the advent of the colonial system which many established by European nations in some continent such as Asia and Africa. Moreover, the slavery and colonialism are not only provides social injustice but also physical and psychological violence to the people. Campbell (1987:19) says, “In addition to physical violence, slave field is also faced with all forms of inhumanity and disgrace that destroys his spirit”.
Over the times, resistance and rebellion against the slavery and colonialism was formed. In the early 20thcentury, many movement organizations were arise and expressed the rejection and judgment to any kind of slavery and colonialism system on the world. The struggles are not only done by diplomacy, but also through various acts such as demonstrations, labor strikes, or evenby literature. At the century, the issue of racism was still very clearly felt by someraces, one of them is Negroid, or other word the Blacks people. In their land, many Europeans establish the system of colonization in some state such as Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Congo, South Africa, etc. The era of slave trade caused the Blacks people were sold and sent to foreign. Besides, the Blacks people also livein discrimination and segregation in other continent such as Europe and America.The Blacks peopleare one of the races having a long story of struggle for freedom and liberty.
All explanations and descriptionsabove arebecame the background of the study of this thesis entitled “TheRastaman’s concept of Equality and Freedom asreflected in Bob Marley’s Selected Songs”. This thesis takes some selected song of Bob Marley to be analyzed. The song has lyrics deals the Rastaman’s concept of equality and freedom.
A song has some major elements to support the idea or the theme that will be conveyed by the singer, they are lyricsand melodies. In some cases, a song sung by someone has lyric which is adopted from poetry. It shows that there are similarities between song and poetry. This can be proved from the structure and characteristic of both. Song has lyrics and poetry has stanzas and both rely on effective use of descriptive imagery.
United States. The lyrics of the song were actually derived from the poem of the same title”. (http://www.differencebetwen.net/poetry vs song/ - Accessed on March 5, 2015)
The statement above explains thatsong lyric is similar with poetry, because they have the same characteristics. Poetry derives etymologically from the Greek word ‘poiein’ which means a making, forming, creating, or constructing. Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. Ubercombie (2009:6) in Understanding Poetryby Martha Pardede states, “Poetry is the expression of imaginative experience, valid simply as such and significant as such communicable given by language which employs every available and appropriate device”.
1.2.Problems of the Study
Some data prove that Rastafari firstly developed and followed by a few people in Jamaica.In fact, Jamaica is a country in the Caribbean Island former British colony. Jamaica has a long history of slavery, because it is an island for slaves from Africa in past time. Horrible experiences and social situation at that time would have effects for Jamaicans, and Rastafari is a belief which arose due to the current situation.
Bob Marley is known as a Rastaman and as a legend of reggae music from Jamaica. His songs can inspire many people all over the world. The lyrics in his songs bravely protests and criticizes injustice and oppression system such colonization and slavery against the people at that time. Campbell (1987:5) states, “Instead of becoming pawns in the political game they used the medium of the Rasta song – Reggae – to mobilize the people”. And as a Rastaman, he inserts a lot of elements of the Rastafari belief to demand freedom and human rights equality in the song lyric.
Based on the background of study, I formulate some problems as follow:
1. How is the Rastaman’s concept of equality asreflected in Bob Marley’sselected songs?
1.3.Objectives of the Study
Based on the problem of study, I expect to achieve objectives as follow:
1. To find the Rastaman’s concept of equality as reflected in Bob Marley’s selected songs.
2. To find the Rastaman’s concept of freedom as reflected in Bob Marley’sselected songs.
1.4.Scope of the Study
In analyzing these songs, this thesis needs a scope of the study in order to avoid an excessive analysis. To make clear limitation or scope of the study, I focused my thesis only on analyzing the selected songs of Bob Marley deals with the concept of Rastaman about equality and freedom.
There are six songs selected to be analyzed, namely:War, Zimbabwe, So Much Things to Say, Africa Unite, Exodus and Redemption Song. These selected songs are expected to
provide explanations and information related tothe objectives of the study. 1.5.Significances of the Study
Jabrohim (2008:5) states, “An analysis is done due to certain significance it has”. Based on the statement above, it is clear that an analysis is made to give significances not only for the writer but also the reader. This thesis is expected to give the significance as follow:
1. To be one of the references for the students who are interested to this study.
2. To identify the relationship between Rastaman and the story of Blacks people’s struggle as reflected in Bob Marley’s selected songs.
3. To identify the belief idea of Rastafari as reflected in Bob Marley’s selected songs.
