From rebellion to revenue: Revisiting commercialisation and digital platforms in Kenyan political protest music

Abstract

This study explores the commercialisation of Kenyan protest music and how it affects its original political intent, with a focus on the transition from underground struggle to mainstream success. It further examines how digital platforms, such as social media and music streaming services, have reshaped the dissemination, reach, and reception of protest music, influencing both its economic success and political efficacy. Anchored in Antonio Gramsci’s Cultural Hegemony Theory, this study explores how dominant cultural forces, such as the media and music industry, form popular ideologies and impact the political and economic roles of protest music. The research adopted a qualitative methodology, incorporating content analysis of chosen Kenyan protest songs and semi-structured interviews with Kenyan youth, particularly those involved in the recent Gen Z led protest in Kenya. The findings show significant growth in repurposed protest songs, driven by social media's role in their virality. These platforms, according to the findings, enhance accessibility, broadening audiences and boosting artists' critical and commercial success. Viral protest songs amplify public engagement with political issues, while commercialisation and digital platforms expand their reach and cultural impact, solidifying protest music as a powerful force. This study concludes that commercialisation and digital platforms contribute favourably to the transmission and influence of protest music, defying past notions regarding its dilution. Future studies should explore the potential development of Gramsci’s Cultural Hegemony Theory to include the transformative function of digital platforms in redefining cultural resistance.