Propaganda comes from the Latin word “propagated” which means further expansion, a “Propagate”, with the help of the author to further expand. Accordingly, propaganda represents an appropriate form of communication, or transmission of messages in various areas human activity, because it can be used, and used, for example, as a military, political, health propaganda. Its main goal is to reach as many people as possible.
Music is useful because it creates an easily recognizable and memorable method of delivery for the desired message. Music is a particularly useful medium for the delivery of propaganda. For example, Hitler made use of music glorifying Germanic legends, such as the works of Richard Wagner. Wagner’s operas employed imagery of knights which Hitler then co-opted for images of himself.
Jacques Ellul stated that for propaganda to be effective it must “fill the citizen’s whole day and every day”.
Since music is often viewed to be a leisure activity, it is often not considered to be as threatening as other propaganda techniques, and as a result, messages can often be surreptitiously communicated without being conspicuously noticed.
Miroslav Sikavica’s documentary film Louder than weapons is a show of how propaganda in Croatia has evolved through music. The film shows the period from the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 1990s in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. In the movie represents a series of musicians who created their political propaganda that was shown through the song. Significant names in the film include Zrinko Tutić, Josip Lisac, Vera Svoboda, Davor Gobac, Miroslav Lilić, Ante Perković and many others. It is presented in October 2017 in Europa cinema and later in about thirty independent cinemas in Croatia.
If you can not opet video click here: https://vimeo.com/226556848
For all those who have not experienced the Homeland War as older generations, the film is an absolute recommendation. At the time when an open aggression was coming to Croatia with the announcement of the war, the Croatian musicians were aiming to keep their people in a strong community, patriotism, clear desire to fight through the song. The action of the movie begins with TV clips where the end of the diary is promoting new hits. The message of unity of communion and strength through the song to a wide audience was clearly and completely transmitted. Some songs and performers become extremely popular, and popularity keeps them up to date. In the movie, a review of about sixty artists has been made, although I believe that at that time there is much more.
Sources:
https://www.jutarnji.hr/kultura/film-i-tv/soundtrack-domovinskog-rata-glasnije-od-oruzja-20-listopada-stize-u-neovisna-kina-diljem-hrvatske/6644511/
https://repozitorij.pfos.hr/islandora/object/pfos%3A583/datastream/PDF/view
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_music_in_World_War_II
http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/
Video: https://vimeo.com/226556848
Picture: http://www.quotehd.com/quotes/christian-wolff-quote-all-music-is-propaganda-music
Written by Katarina Prša
