Şebnem Altunkaya is a Postgraduate Researcher in the Department of Music at the University of Huddersfield, UK, funded by the Leverhulme Trust as part of the Amplification Project working with Prof. Steve Waksman, Prof. Jan Herbst and Dr. Gabi Kielich. Her PhD project titled Anatolian Rock: From Türkü to Psychedelic Movement is part of a cooperation with the AoM research group.

How does popular music negotiate the legitimacy of political violence, and how do political actors refer to violence in musical practices? South Africa’s historical struggle against the racist system of Apartheid and the country’s vibrant music scenes make it a highly suitable case through which to explore how musicians, activists, politicians and wider audiences negotiate uses of political violence in and through popular music.