Critiquing the Crisis through Music Three Songs about Life in Cyprus Before and After the ‘Haircut’ of March 2013
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Abstract
This essay reflects on three songs from Cyprus written, released and performed on/or about/around the bailout crisis of March 2013. While the songs come from three different musical genres and artists they articulate a number of themes which are pertinent to understanding the economic crisis as a possible succession of a number of political crises and unresolved wounds that go back to the 1970s. One of the essay’s main objectives is to contribute to an emerging field in contemporary Cypriot scholarship, namely that of popular music studies through a contextual analysis of songs and the art of listening (Back, 2008). The essay also aims to develop an understanding of songs as commentary, as a form of media narrative on everyday lived experiences as reflected by musicians living through economic and political crises in Cyprus.
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Keywords
popular music, protest, songs, ethnomusicology, Cyprus, crisis, ethnoraphy
References
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Argyrou, V. (2009) Anthropology and the Will to Meaning – A Postcolonial Critique. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Attfield, S. (2011) ‘Punk Rock and the Value of Auto-ethnographic Writing about Music’, Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 2–11.
Back, L. (2007) The Art of Listening. Oxford: Berg Publishers.
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Gauntlett, D. (2011) Making is Connecting: The Social Meaning of Creativity, from DIY and Knitting to YouTube and Web 2.0. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Goldman, V. (2006) The Book of Exodus: The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Album of the Century. California: Three Rivers Press.
Hadjipavlou, M. (2010) Women and Change in Cyprus: Feminism, Gender and Conflict. London/New York: I.B. Tauris.
Hajimichael, M. (2013) ‘Hip hop and Cyprus – Language, Motivation, Unity and Division’, in Nitzsche, S.A. and Grünzweig, W. (eds), Hip-Hop in Europe: Cultural Identities and Transnational Flows. Münster: LIT Verlag, pp. 37–55.
Hajimichael, M. (forthcoming) ‘Keravnophone Records – In Pursuit of 1960’s Cypriot Grooves….’, in Samson, J. and Demetriou, N. (eds), Music in Cyprus. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate.
Kareklas, Y. (2013) ‘Proextasis’, CyBC TV, 12 March 2013.
King, M.L. (1967) Beyond Vietnam – A Time to Break Silence, Speech Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City; available at: [http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm], accessed on 11 April 2015.
Loizos, P. (1975) The Greek Gift: Politics in a Cypriot Village. New York: St Martin’s Press.
Maconie, S. (2013) The People’s Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records. London: Ebery Press.
Mirbagheri, F. (2010) Historical Dictionary of Cyprus. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press.
O’Connor, S. (2008) The Cypriot Missile Crisis, 1 May 2008, available [on-line] at: [http://geimint.blogspot.com/2008/05/cypriot-missile-crisis.html], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Officer, D. (2008) Limbo: The Migrant in Cyprus – A Portrait. London: Middlesex University Press.
Samson, J. and Demetriou, N. (eds) (forthcoming) Music in Cyprus. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate.
Stokes, M. (2010) The Republic of Love: Cultural Intimacy in Turkish Popular Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Taylor, B. (2013) The Worst Bear Market in History available [on-line] at: [https://www.globalfinancialdata.com/gfdblog/?p=2254], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Trimikliniotis, N. (2011) Contested Integration, Migration and Societal Transformation: European Dilemmas and Challenges. Nicosia: University of Nicosia Press.
Walt, V. (2011) ‘El Général and the Rap Anthem of the Mideast Revolution’ Time Magazine, Tuesday 5 February 2011, available [on-line] at: [http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2049456,00. html], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Weir, A. (2006) ‘Behind Closed Doors’ The Guardian, Tuesday 19 December 2006, available [online] at: [http://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/dec/19/theairlineindustry.travel], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Fort Bravo (2010) ‘Zitame’, Fort Bravo Music.
Haji Mike & Dub Caravan (2013) ‘It Does My Head In’, Dub Revolution Music.
Monsieur Doumani featuring Maroulla Constantinou (2013) ‘Paiakin Miroaton’, Grippy Grappy
Monsieur Doumani Records. Website, available [on-line] at: [http://www.monsieurdoumani. com/index.php?page=806].
Andreas ICY (Fort Bravo) conducted over a number of exchanges online (Skype, Facebook and E-mail), summer/fall 2014.
Antonis (Monsieur Doumani) conducted over a number of exchanges online (Facebook and E-mail), summer/fall 2014.
Argyrou, V. (2009) Anthropology and the Will to Meaning – A Postcolonial Critique. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Attfield, S. (2011) ‘Punk Rock and the Value of Auto-ethnographic Writing about Music’, Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 2–11.
Back, L. (2007) The Art of Listening. Oxford: Berg Publishers.
BBC News Europe (2011) ‘Cyprus Protest over Deadly Blast at Navy Base’, 12 July 2011, available [online] at: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14132130], accessed on 10 April 2015.
BBC News (2013) ‘Cyprus Bailout: Parliament Postpones Debate’, 17 March 2013, available [online] at: [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21819990], accessed on 11 April 2015.
Gauntlett, D. (2011) Making is Connecting: The Social Meaning of Creativity, from DIY and Knitting to YouTube and Web 2.0. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Goldman, V. (2006) The Book of Exodus: The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Album of the Century. California: Three Rivers Press.
Hadjipavlou, M. (2010) Women and Change in Cyprus: Feminism, Gender and Conflict. London/New York: I.B. Tauris.
Hajimichael, M. (2013) ‘Hip hop and Cyprus – Language, Motivation, Unity and Division’, in Nitzsche, S.A. and Grünzweig, W. (eds), Hip-Hop in Europe: Cultural Identities and Transnational Flows. Münster: LIT Verlag, pp. 37–55.
Hajimichael, M. (forthcoming) ‘Keravnophone Records – In Pursuit of 1960’s Cypriot Grooves….’, in Samson, J. and Demetriou, N. (eds), Music in Cyprus. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate.
Kareklas, Y. (2013) ‘Proextasis’, CyBC TV, 12 March 2013.
King, M.L. (1967) Beyond Vietnam – A Time to Break Silence, Speech Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City; available at: [http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm], accessed on 11 April 2015.
Loizos, P. (1975) The Greek Gift: Politics in a Cypriot Village. New York: St Martin’s Press.
Maconie, S. (2013) The People’s Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records. London: Ebery Press.
Mirbagheri, F. (2010) Historical Dictionary of Cyprus. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press.
O’Connor, S. (2008) The Cypriot Missile Crisis, 1 May 2008, available [on-line] at: [http://geimint.blogspot.com/2008/05/cypriot-missile-crisis.html], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Officer, D. (2008) Limbo: The Migrant in Cyprus – A Portrait. London: Middlesex University Press.
Samson, J. and Demetriou, N. (eds) (forthcoming) Music in Cyprus. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate.
Stokes, M. (2010) The Republic of Love: Cultural Intimacy in Turkish Popular Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Taylor, B. (2013) The Worst Bear Market in History available [on-line] at: [https://www.globalfinancialdata.com/gfdblog/?p=2254], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Trimikliniotis, N. (2011) Contested Integration, Migration and Societal Transformation: European Dilemmas and Challenges. Nicosia: University of Nicosia Press.
Walt, V. (2011) ‘El Général and the Rap Anthem of the Mideast Revolution’ Time Magazine, Tuesday 5 February 2011, available [on-line] at: [http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2049456,00. html], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Weir, A. (2006) ‘Behind Closed Doors’ The Guardian, Tuesday 19 December 2006, available [online] at: [http://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/dec/19/theairlineindustry.travel], accessed on 10 April 2015.
Fort Bravo (2010) ‘Zitame’, Fort Bravo Music.
Haji Mike & Dub Caravan (2013) ‘It Does My Head In’, Dub Revolution Music.
Monsieur Doumani featuring Maroulla Constantinou (2013) ‘Paiakin Miroaton’, Grippy Grappy
Monsieur Doumani Records. Website, available [on-line] at: [http://www.monsieurdoumani. com/index.php?page=806].
Andreas ICY (Fort Bravo) conducted over a number of exchanges online (Skype, Facebook and E-mail), summer/fall 2014.
Antonis (Monsieur Doumani) conducted over a number of exchanges online (Facebook and E-mail), summer/fall 2014.
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How to Cite
“Critiquing the Crisis through Music: Three Songs about Life in Cyprus Before and After the ‘Haircut’ of March 2013”. 2017. Cyprus Review 27 (1): 233-48. https://cyprusreview.org/index.php/cr/article/view/66.