Music Library
Explore our collection of songs that champion human rights, equality, and justice.
Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey On the Moon
✨ A pulse of inequality, accountability, and the demand for economic justice. “Whitey on the Moon” by Gil Scott-Heron is one of the most incisive political spoken-word performances of the twentieth century. Released in 1970, at the height of the U.S. space race, the piece contrasts the immense resources devoted to the Apollo missions with the everyday struggles of poor and predominantly Black communities. Through biting irony and sharp social commentary, Scott-Heron asks a simple but devastating question: what is the value of technological achievement when millions still lack access to basic human needs?
ChocQuibTown - Oro
✨ A pulse of resistance, environmental justice, and the defense of ancestral lands. “Oro” by ChocQuibTown is a powerful denunciation of the exploitation of Colombia's Pacific region and its Afro-Colombian communities. Using gold as both a literal resource and a symbol of stolen wealth, the song tells the story of outsiders who arrive promising prosperity but instead extract natural resources, leave communities in poverty, and destroy livelihoods. Rooted in the lived experiences of the Chocó region, “Oro” exposes the human cost of extractive industries and unequal development.
Somos Sur - Ana Tijoux ft. Shadia Mansour
✨ A pulse of solidarity, decolonization, and the voices of the Global South. “Somos Sur” by Ana Tijoux featuring Shadia Mansour is a powerful anthem of resistance that unites struggles across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. Blending Spanish and Arabic, the song rejects colonialism, imperialism, and exploitation while celebrating the resilience of communities that have long been silenced, marginalized, or dispossessed. Rather than focusing on a single country or conflict, “Somos Sur” ("We Are South") imagines a global movement built on solidarity among oppressed peoples.
Sara Curruchich ft. Lila Downs - PUEBLOS
✨ A pulse of Indigenous resilience, dignity, and the defense of ancestral lands. “Pueblos” by Sara Curruchich featuring Lila Downs is a powerful anthem celebrating the strength, resistance, and enduring wisdom of Indigenous peoples across Latin America. Released on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the song brings together two of the region's most influential Indigenous artists to honor communities that continue to defend their lands, cultures, and rights despite centuries of discrimination and exclusion.
Orchestra Baobab - Guajira Ven
✨ A pulse of cultural exchange, unity, and the celebration of shared heritage. “Guajira Ven” by Orchestra Baobab is a beautiful example of how music transcends borders. Blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with West African musical traditions, the song reflects the deep cultural connections forged across the Atlantic through centuries of migration, exchange, and resilience. Rather than dwelling on painful histories alone, “Guajira Ven” celebrates the creativity and solidarity that emerge when cultures meet, evolve, and inspire one another.
Gregory Isaacs - Down The Line (African Museum LP)
✨ A pulse of perseverance, justice, and hope beyond hardship. “Down The Line” by Gregory Isaacs is a roots reggae reflection on endurance in the face of life's struggles. Released on the Soon Forward album during a period when Isaacs was combining his signature vocal style with socially conscious themes, the song encourages listeners to look beyond present difficulties and maintain faith that justice, peace, and better days lie ahead.
Tim Arinaitwe - 1 Planet 1 Right
✨ A pulse of environmental justice, shared responsibility, and hope for our common future. “1 Planet 1 Right” by Tim Arinaitwe, created in collaboration with BirdLife International, is a call to protect the natural world as a shared human responsibility. Blending uplifting melodies with a message of environmental stewardship, the song reminds us that the health of people and the planet are inseparable. Clean air, healthy ecosystems, and thriving biodiversity are not luxuries—they are foundations for life, dignity, and sustainable development.
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Small Axe
✨ A pulse of resistance, empowerment, and the strength of the marginalized. “Small Axe” by Bob Marley & The Wailers is one of Bob Marley’s most enduring statements on power and resistance. Drawing on the proverb “If you are the big tree, we are the small axe,” the song challenges entrenched systems of domination and reminds listeners that even those who appear powerless can bring about profound change. Through its steady reggae rhythm and defiant message, “Small Axe” celebrates the ability of ordinary people to confront injustice and reclaim their voice.
Paulo Flores & Nelson Ebo - Monami
✨ A pulse of memory, cultural heritage, and the bonds that connect communities across generations. “Monami” by Paulo Flores and Nelson Ebo is a celebration of friendship, shared history, and cultural identity. Performed in the context of discussions on cultural heritage, the song highlights the importance of preserving traditions, stories, and human connections in a rapidly changing world. Through its warmth and intimacy, “Monami” reminds listeners that culture is not only found in monuments or archives, but also in relationships, memories, and everyday acts of community.
Dezarie - Not One Penny
✨ A pulse of economic justice, self-determination, and resistance to exploitation. “Not One Penny” by Dezarie is a forceful critique of systems that profit from inequality while demanding the labor, resources, and loyalty of ordinary people. Rooted in the traditions of conscious reggae and Rastafari thought, the song challenges listeners to question where their money goes, who benefits from economic structures, and what it means to withdraw support from institutions that perpetuate injustice.
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Time Come
✨ A pulse of resistance, empowerment, and the certainty that change is coming. “Time Come” by Linton Kwesi Johnson is a powerful declaration of collective struggle and social transformation. One of the most influential voices of dub poetry, Johnson combines spoken-word intensity with reggae rhythms to confront racism, inequality, and the structures of power that marginalize working-class and Black communities. The song carries a message of patience and determination: injustice may persist, but its time will eventually come.
Geoffrey Oryema - Makambo
✨ A pulse of exile, resilience, and the search for belonging. “Makambo” by Geoffrey Oryema reflects the experiences of displacement, loss, and perseverance that shaped much of Oryema’s life and work. Forced to flee Uganda during the brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin after the assassination of his father, Oryema became one of Africa’s most powerful musical voices on exile and memory. In “Makambo”—a title that translates roughly as “problems” or “troubles” in several Central and East African languages—he explores the burdens people carry when confronted with conflict, separation, and uncertainty.