Cultures of Resistance

A master of the Iranian spiked fiddle, Kayhan Kalhor promotes musical preservation and cross-cultural diplomacy, and has repeatedly stood up for democracy and free speech in his native Iran. Read more about Kalhor and watch some of his performances on our profile page.

A hip-hop star who rose to international fame with rhymes about being a child soldier, Emmanuel Jal continues to sing for peace and reconciliation. Click here to learn more about Jal's music and his international anti-war campaigns.

As part of a global movement for justice in Palestine, the call for a campaign of Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel has resulted in a cultural boycott by many musicians, artists, and writers worldwide. Click here to read more about some of the prominent musicians who have promised to boycott Israel until the country's government respects human rights and ends the occupation of Palestine.

The language of music is universal. Although each culture produces its own specific musical forms, the appeal that these forms hold is not limited to any particular time or place. Like the other arts, music is able to transcend the arbitrary boundaries that humans devise to separate themselves from others.

As part of our efforts to promote cross-cultural exchange with Iranian musicians, we've been thrilled to work with the rapper Hichkas. Known as the "President of Iranian hip hop," he has emerged as a singular voice speaking out about contemporary social issues facing youth in Tehran. Click here to read our profile.

We often engage with musical practices as strategies of resistance that may be cathartic, communicative, and subversive. The Sound of Resistance endeavors to be an ever growing encyclopedia of the traditions of musical development and resistance in countries throughout the world.