Reggae and Hip Hop in Southern Italy: Politics, Languages, and Multiple Marginalities

Description

This book explores the significance of reggae and hip hop in Southern Italy from the beginning of the 1980s to the present. Focusing on groups and solo artists located predominantly in the Southern Italian regions of Apulia and Sardinia, it examines the production and distribution of their music, lyrics and video clips. To this end, Reggae and Hip Hop in Southern Italy emphasizes the linguistic aspects of cultural marginalization as well as marginalities linked to geographical location, gender, and to social and political identification. The authors put forward three key arguments, namely: that the Southern Italian transcultural and multilingual musical productions defy the cultural stereotype of the South; that the musicians discussed are creating new alliances and transcultural exchanges that engage critically with the challenges and opportunities offered by globalization; and that these musical productions represent one of Italy’s most significant forms of creative political expression since the 1970s. Reggae and Hip Hop in Southern Italy brings to light the distinctive characteristics of Italy’s independent and marginal musical contexts of reggae and reggae-inflected hip hop. It will serve as an invaluable resource for academics and students of Italian cultural studies, global studies, and the politics of non-hegemonic cultural production. It also provides an engaging reference for those with an interest in southern Italy, Apulia, Sardinia, the southern question and independent and popular music more generally. Front Matter ....Pages i-vii Introduction (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 1-16 The Roots and Routes of Reggae from Jamaica to Italy (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 17-44 “Inna Different Stylee”: The Renaissance of Youth Culture and Politics in Bari (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 45-83 Sud Sound System and the Revival of Salentine Language, Culture, and Identity (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 85-126 The Rise of the Posses and the Power of the Word (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 127-162 Southern Echoes of the Posses in Sardinia: Sa Razza (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 163-191 The Legacy of the Posses Beyond Genres and Across Generations: Randagiu Sardu, Mama Marjas, Claudia Aru (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 193-222 Conclusion (Susanna Scarparo, Mathias Sutherland Stevenson)....Pages 223-231 Back Matter ....Pages 233-244