Musicians often reflect their context by using instruments, lyrics, ideas and melodies that come from their background, but they also find ways to challenge it. Miriam Makeba, for example, used styles like jazz, blues, and traditional South African music to express her identity and share her culture with the rest of the world. But her music not just reflects about her social circumstances and the status quo, it questions power and speaks up against injustice and racism. By blending African musical ideas with Western instruments, and singing about both joy and suffering, she challenges the cultural context of she lived in and turns her music into a form of resistance.
Music can drive social change by making big issues feel personal and urgent. Billy Bragg does this through simple, direct songs that talk about real political problems, especially ones that affect working class people. He strips the music down to just voice and guitar, so the message is easy to hear and hard to ignore. His lyrics are clear, focused, and written like a conversation, which helps him connect with a wide audience. By performing live in different places and keeping the music accessible, he spreads ideas and brings people together around common struggles.