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Music Is A Weapon: #EndSARS Protest Songs Playlist

By Michael Bamidele

17 October 2020   |   3:33 pm

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"One day go be one day, one day go be one day, those wey dey steal money for government, one day go be one day," Fela prophetically sings on "Army Arrangement". It appears these are the beginning of those days as young Nigerians take to the streets in the ongoing #EndSARS protests demanding an end…

PHOTO: Falz and Runtown at #EndSARS protest in Lagos

“One day go be one day, one day go be one day, those wey dey steal money for government, one day go be one day,” Fela prophetically sings on “Army Arrangement”.

It appears these are the beginning of those days as young Nigerians take to the streets in the ongoing #EndSARS protests demanding an end to injustice, police brutality and accountability from those in power.

And over time, it has been proved that one of the most effective weapons against oppression is music. Indeed music can be soothing, however, it can also be used to express outrage like Michae Jackson’s “They Don’t Really Care About Us” or stir the people for a common cause like Majek Fashek’s “So Long Too Long”.

“Bella Ciao”, which gained renewed popularity thanks to the Spanish television series “Money Heist”, was a sung by the Mondina women, became an anthem for the anti-fascist partisans during World War II. And American folk group Peter, Paul and Mary sang during the Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington in 1963.

Nollywood actress Inidima Okojie recently defended the use of music during the #EndSARS protests: “if you have gone out to protest, you will realize that it is draining and tiring and the need to lift morale cannot be overemphasized.”

Check out our #EndSARS protest songs playlist below: