From an Emperor to the Derg and Beyond

Abstract

Music and politics form intertwined relationships in many societies. These relationships become more pronounced in societies, such as Ethiopia, where formal lines of public expression are constrained. This chapter therefore investigated the content of songs during three successive governments in the country. Textual analysis was used to determine the prevailing themes in 14 selected songs and a musical play. The analysis shows that corruption, drought, and the need for change were dominant during the imperial era, whereas the focus in the Derg era was on the brutality of the regime, drought, and an endless war. Corruption, poor governance, and ethnic politics were the themes during the EPRDF era. The songs analyzed show that the ills of Ethiopian society persist just as the musicians continue to expose them and call for social healing and national unity.