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Influenced as much by punk as folk music, England’s great singer-songwriter Billy Bragg has always placed politics and social activism at the center of his creative life. Bragg has a new book out about the history and impact of skiffle: Roots, Radicals, and Rockers.
He paused during his book tour to talk about why he wrote the book (1:00); examples of genre mixing in music that don’t qualify as cultural appropriation (2:50); hip-hop as the musical language of today (5:15); music as revolution, citing the example of Beyonce (6:15); the importance of empathy in music (10:30); and why his best songs connect with audiences (13:00).
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Roots, Radicals, and Rockers
Billy Bragg's website
Grime4Corbyn
Beyonce’s Superbowl Halftime Show in 2016
During a conversation just after releasing a book about skiffle, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg talked about the role of musicians during troubled times and why his best songs connect with audiences.
