France is having its second big day of mobilization against pension reform. Between the few slogans, the contemporary hits broadcast by the sound system now punctuate the processions.
Gala is not just the star of the football locker room. The Italian song, Free from desireresonates regularly in the processions of demonstrations, alongside classics such as stainless steel Bella ciao Where Motivated of Zebda.
This Tuesday, January 31, while France is living its second day of mobilization against the pension reform, other pieces punctuate the march of the demonstrators. Rap now carves out a good place in the demonstrations. The sound systems broadcast here and there in the Parisian procession the voice of Aya Nakamura (pookie), from the collective 13’Organisé (Organized Gang), Soolking (sweetly), Magic System (magic in the air) or Diam’s (Peter Pan).
And if We are hereborn in football stadiums and popularized by the yellow vests, is still sung by the demonstrators, the sound systems have largely taken over.
From now on, “in the union processions we put sound systems, with obviously ‘Bella Ciao’, ‘Motivés’, ‘Manu Chao’…”, underlines with AFP Bertrand Dicale, who writes the chronicle “These songs which make the news” on Franceinfo. “But if we say ‘song’, it’s because we sing, not because we broadcast on loudspeakers” with a van “so that it oats”.
“We no longer sing in demonstrations”
“It’s a reflection of what the trade union movement is today. It takes groups gathered to sing”, he analyzes again. But “the politicians no longer sing either, there are no more bawdy songs, the supporter songs are always the same, because it’s the sound system that takes care of it”.
“For years, we sang in the demonstrations. Really sang”, notes the specialist in French song. But the last great protest song “which marks a generation is ‘Devaquet, if you knew…’ in 1986. After that, there weren’t many more”, except very locally, he believes. -he.
Today, “we no longer sing in demonstrations” and “the strike is no longer a worker”.
This year, the “Rosies”, who had distinguished themselves in the demonstrations against the pension reform at the end of 2019 with their choreographed songs, have already prepared an act II, broadcast online even before the mobilization on Thursday, with instructions for the gesture.
Still dressed in their overalls like Rosie the Riveter (famous image from American pop culture – 1942 – showing a woman flexing her muscles), they sing We want to live on the air ofI Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
