The Punks are Alright!

            Music has the power to flawlessly connect different people from around the world creating a unique multicultural web that makes us one. It can be used as a social force towards a certain idea as seen in “ I love Hip-Hop in Morocco”, or it can be a matter of life and death. Youth around the world can experience a feeling of communitas based on how music makes a person feel. In this essay I will discuss how punk music in Brazil and Indonesia empowers youth and offers refuge from political religious and social issues that people face.

            When I think about the lifestyle I live in I immediately think of the word comfortable. Opportunities and hard working parents have been two very essential factors into why my life is so comfortable compared to millions of other people around the world. Comparing my lifestyle to other kids worldwide I always point out our differences without even regarding our similarities. It is those differences that we feed off of that blocks us from understanding how extremely similar we are to kids in Brazil and Indonesia. This documentary strongly changed my perception of youth culture in these specific communities by opening my eyes and allowing me to identify with other people and cultures. It completely erased all of the differences I immediately thought about, and helped replace those differences with commonalities. One extremely significant struggle that I noticed was the impact of religious and political issues on their lives. People in Indonesia specifically are faced with this constant feeling of being stuck looking back towards traditional Islamic values, but also looking forwards towards Western globalization and influence. They continuously struggle with this issue not knowing what or how to react because they are not freely given the power of choice. On the other hand poverty in Brazil forces desperate children into dangerous situations like involvement in the drug force posing severe risks towards their lives. Both of these struggles are something I personally do not face, but the fact that each of us inevitably faces a certain struggle makes us able to identify with each other through global citizenship.

            Heinrich and Dolly both really differed from each other yet they both shared one intense love for punk music. Together they expressed how punk music is not only a form of music, but also their lifestyle. They discuss how it is a remedy for sickness and a way in which it can keep kids off the street out of harms way. For me, I find music to be my personal escape from life’s obstacles. I listen to it in order to get away from what is bothering me and it soothes me and reassures me of my comfortable life. I can relate to Heinrich and Dolly in the sense that music is so powerfully ingrained in their lives. Also another big thing that I can relate to is the struggle of faith in my religion. Although I grew up Catholic I find myself questioning my faith and questioning certain aspects of my religion. I struggle with trying to explain to myself the importance of faith when I don’t even know if I believe in everything the bible says.

            Another importance I wanted to distinctly point out was how music symbolized much more than just how they felt listening to it. They actually communicated to the viewers that punk was a lifestyle. Heinrich described places like the school as being ‘punk’ which basically means the ability to do something yourself and growing off of that certain something. Punk music can be a symbol of resistance, empowerment and motivation for a change in Indonesian culture and that is something I related to. Although I don’t listen to punk music, I feel that rap music to me is a source I seek for empowerment and motivation towards change.

            Through music our lives all intersect in terms of global and cultural flows. It becomes a linked chain that does not flow in a unidirectional manner but more multi directional way. Although I probably will never meet these certain people in person I can identify with them through my love and need for music. Our inspiration in Brazil and Indonesia is extremely prevalent. In the movie we saw commercials that depicted girls wearing ‘Western’ clothes and guys skateboarding. We see a large influence of western globalization on other countries, but some people don’t see the their influence on us. If it weren’t for people like Dolly we wouldn’t have our everyday Nike sneakers or hats. It’s more of a circle that connects us because through perspective Dolly sees the American consumer as the reason he even has a job. We on the other hand see Dolly as a person who makes our clothes that we wear every day. Fast food restaurants like McDonald’s have made their way around to every country through American influence, but do we not stop to recognize how many Chinese or Thai restaurants there are in America? Our cultures are so heavily intermixed that we don’t even realize how similar and essential we are towards one another.

            With the help of this movie I was able to notice my identity and how it plays a direct role with other people in this world. I really began to question exactly who I am and how my choices I make reflect my cultural values. By being able to identify with a person I was able to begin to think about whom I am in relationship towards Dolly and Heinrich and furthermore how I want those relationships to impact my cultural identity. Through such a simple thing like music I am able to accomplish so much. Together we recognize how much we impact our global community, and individually we learn how much we impact each other.