Abstract
In an increasingly interconnected and globalised world, the need for cross cultural understanding is greater than ever before. Exploring and analysing songs from different cultures can be an effective ‘entry point’ into learning about the nature of other peoples and societies lives and for developing a sense of ethnocultural empathy. Protest songs can provide a lens for intercultural analysis, especially for understanding minority or subcultural perspectives. Translating songs into different languages makes these works more accessible to a broader cross-section of people. We present translations of protest songs, two from Indonesian to English, and one from English to Indonesian. We discuss the respective importance of meaning and poetics in making song translations. Strict adherence to song rhymes is a challenge for translators and one which may impede meaning. The optimal approach depends on the format in which the translation is likely to be presented. Fluency in the target language, rather than the source language, is more helpful for successful translation. Finally, we make some recommendations about the usefulness of intercultural song (text) translation analysis and intercultural awareness.
Highlights
Music plays an intrinsic role in the evolution of culture in various regions, communities and eras
Protest songs have a unique function, as they reflect viewpoints regarding the operation of society, including issues such as social justice, inequality, environmentalism, and rights of indigenous peoples; they frequently explore an imbalance of power between social groups
War is an important theme in the history of protest songs, the viewpoint usually being one of strident opposition to the conduct of war
Summary
Music plays an intrinsic role in the evolution of culture in various regions, communities and eras. Protest songs have a unique function, as they reflect viewpoints regarding the operation of society, including issues such as social justice, inequality, environmentalism, and rights of indigenous peoples; they frequently explore an imbalance of power between social groups They often express minority viewpoints, those in apposition to prevailing mainstream opinion or government policy. With reference to some seminal examples from Australian music, the lyrics of protest songs may be directed at general social attitudes or behaviour (Midnight Oil - The Power And the Passion 1984; consumerism and advertising), systemic patterns of behaviour (Archie Roach - Took The Children Away 1990; forced removal of aboriginal children from their birth families) or specific incidents and events (Redgum - I Was Only Nineteen 1983; Vietnam War) Such songs usually originate from a factual and existential basis, but often contain artistic embellishments and elements of fiction. Western artists have rarely been persecuted or imprisoned for their artistic exploits, save for the occasional indecency charge or conviction
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