Alynda Lee Segarra of Hurray For The Riff Raff. Photo Credit: Sarrah Danziger
Hurray For the Riff Raff’s 2017 album, Navigator was the number one album on the list of Top 25 Protest Albums of 2017.
Today I decided to focus on a standout from their previous 2014 album, Small Time Heroes. “The Body Electric” provides a poignant examination of how historically music has been guilty of promoting violence against both women and minorities. The song specifically highlights that trend within folk music, even making a direct reference to the traditional murder ballad “Delia’s Gone”.
In a NPR interview, front-woman and principal songwriter Alynda Lee Segarra, made the following statement:
“There is a weaponization of the body happening right now in America. Our bodies are being turned against us. Black and brown bodies are being portrayed as inherently dangerous. A black person’s size and stature are being used as reason for murder against them. This is ultimately a deranged fear of the power and capabilities of black people. It is the same evil idea that leads us to blame women for attacks by their abusers.”