Venue: Theatre 2, Irish World Academy
Chair: Dr Róisín Ní Ghallóglaigh
Themes of sexual consent and coercion* are common to genre of traditional Irish song. My PhD research revealed that songs in the Irish tradition which express ideas of sexual coercion and consent, can be perceived by singers and audiences in a multitude of ways. They can reveal misogynistic ideals and shed a light on how those ideals can be subverted. Some may perceive of them as love songs or humorous takes on courting and on female/male relationships. Others may perceive of them as dark, as songs of warning.
What about other genres? How does Pop, RnB, Country Music or Hip-hop express these themes? I have always seen Irish hip-hop as a protest genre, a working-class genre, and one which doesn't necessarily follow the lead of the genre in other anglophone countries such as England, North America, and Canada, where popular hip-hop lyricists often perform material which is heavily sexualised and explicit.
Today's seminar aims to discuss those lyrics which express ideas of consent and coercion in both genres. How are themes of consent and coercion expressed in Irish Traditional and other genre lyrics? What are some of the possible meanings and repercussions of these lyrics?
*please be aware that content may be triggering for some people; support will be available at the event. Kindly supported by Rape Crisis Midwest