Vostok_

Enjoy this rendition of a Cuban song about the arrival of the revolution and the man who was leading it, Fidel Castro.

To clarify, the original composer of this song is Carlos Puebla, the band which made this rendition is unknown.

Carlos Puebla lived to experience both pre and post revolution Cuba, he was so inspired by the radical changes brought to society that he spent the rest of his life until 1989 writing songs about the Cuban Revolution and how it improved Cuban society.

This song in particular was the very first one he composed after the revolution and marked the turning point in his career.

Today we celebrate 80 years since the capitulation of the Third Reich.

Here is a song that was made 30 years after 1945, despite the Soviet Union no longer existing, let us listen to this song and celebrate the victory that saved humanity from the grim new order that fascism was poised to usher in all those years ago.

That threat has not passed, of course, but we can still listen to this song and remember that it was defeated before, and that we may one day celebrate victory over it for good.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

Victory day is tomorrow, to celebrate here is a modern recording of Road to Berlin.

This version is actually quite faithful to the original, whose lyrics were first made in late 1943 to include a list of cities the Red Army successfully recaptured in its movement to the west.

The song was first performed in early 1944, but a problem became apparent, the lyrics already became outdated. So more cities were added to the lyrics... and another city... and another city, until eventually adding Berlin. This song became one of those played at the very first victory parade in 1945.

The organization that created this version is a modern cultural project, one of its specialties is bringing together singers and musicians of modern Russia to sing culturally significant songs such as this.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

Victory day is not here just yet, but today, tomorrow and on the 9th of May I will post songs 3 songs related to Soviet Union's fight and eventual victory over the fascist menace.

To start, here is my favorite version of Sacred War, the anthem of the Great Patriotic War. It is a powerful rendition which describes itself as being the "metal version", although I sadly have no clue who created it or exactly when, I enjoy it nonetheless. I find it great for the purpose of motivating myself for a difficult task.

To go along with the song, here is the official translation of the lyrics in English:

Arise, vast country,

Arise for a fight to the death

Against the dark fascist force,

Against the cursed horde.

Chorus:

Let noble wrath

Boil over like a wave!

This is the people's war,

A Sacred War!

We shall repulse the oppressors

Of all ardent ideas,

Theremoveds and the plunderers,

The torturers of people!

Chorus

The black wings shall not dare

Fly over the Motherland,

On her spacious fields;

The enemy shall not dare tread!

Chorus

We'll drive a bullet into the forehead

Of the rotten fascist filth.

For the scum of humanity,

We shall build a solid coffin!

Chorus

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it

This is a more revolutionary version of the same song, Preacher and the Slave was written by Joe Hill in 1911. It is an explicit rebuttal of the Salvation Army, a religious organization promising salvation to the poor.

During the height of the American labor movement people from the Industrial Workers of the World union would intentionally come to Salvation Army gatherings and sing these lyrics over the melody of their song, attracting people away from the pulpit.

In my opinion it is definitely the most catchy song that came out of the labor movement in the United States, I randomly find myself humming it (usually when I'm hungry).

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

During the late 60s up until Glasnost in the 80s the Soviet government allowed more western styles of music to slowly reach the soviet people through curated vocal and instrumental ensembles, where many musicians would band together under a single group, had an official manager appointed to them, and were allowed to have their music broadcast through official media channels.

A product of this initiative was the Samotsvety group, which became one of the most popular ensembles. One of their hits was the track called My Address is the Soviet Union, a pop song featuring lyrics describing an idealized vision of life in the Soviet Union, the place where people are honest, hardworking, sensible and proud to live the world's premier worker's state.

After the collapse of the union, however, this song became popular due to another reason, as it now has become a symbol of post-soviet nostalgia and rejection of the new status quo. This version was released in 2008, years after the USSR ceased to be, and now includes a really catchy rock arrangement.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

My favorite version of the song, sung live where the crowd was integrated into the song, giving it the energy it deserves.

The song was made shortly before the overthrow of Salvador Allende in Chile, the songwriters had to live in exile during Pinochet's dictatorship and only returned after his reign was over. Meanwhile their song grew to outstanding popularity.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

The Sacred War was the song made by the Red Army Choir mere days after the start of the Great Patriotic War, when the fascist armies of Europe launched the largest land invasion in the history of the world against the Soviet Union.

It was a brutal war waged with the sole purpose of enslaving and exterminating the Soviet people and the original song conveyed that feeling perfectly, for the Soviet people it was not only a war to defend themselves, their families and the socialist project, but a sacred war to put down the vile ideology of fascism that was poised to bring a new dark age over humanity.

The song became one of the most famous tracks from the WW2 era, inside the Soviet Union the song was so widely circulated some say it effectively became its unofficial anthem during the war. Like Katyusha it was translated into numerous languages, including German where the famous East German singer Ernst Busch covered it.

This version is much more different, however. Sung by Chris Peterka in German, his version becomes a slow, mournful and melancholic soliloquy, almost resembling a campfire song. I personally interpret it as a song mourning the fate of the Soviet Union, as it was the nazi invasion that took the lives of over 26 million soviet people and was what I would argue to be the first domino that led to its eventual collapse less than 50 years later.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

This is the modernized version of the anthem of the Fifth Regiment of Republican Spain, when the Spanish Civil War broke out the Communist Party of Spain organized new fighting units to fight back against francoist forces. Out of them the Fifth Regiment became the most famous due to its effectiveness and organization, it was composed of working class people of all ages and professions and constantly attracted new volunteers. Once the army of Republican Spain was reorganized the unit was absorbed into it, but it's members were involved in the defense of Madrid up until the end of the civil war.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

Happy 1st of May everyone! This song is the American classic Solidarity Forever adapted into the Chinese language, now titled Song of Unity. Solidarity Forever is usually sung with little instrumentation backing the vocals, if there is any at all, this version however includes a whole modern set of instruments, the result sounding much more like a contemporary rock song with a triumphant and celebratory tone.

As for who made it, I sadly could not find a clue. It would take some research on the Chinese internet, which I sadly did not have the time for. If anybody happens to know the source, please tell me so I can include it in the title.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

The story of the Italian communist movement is a tragic one, but there are few western countries where the population has so persistently pursued those ideas. Fischia Il Vento is an older song from the days of the partisan struggle inside Italy, being first composed in 1943 and adopted as the unofficial anthem of the Garibaldi Brigades, the communist unit of the resistance which was also by far the largest partisan group.

The song took the melody of Katyusha and many musician groups have decided to make their own rendition, the rendition I chose was made by the Modena City Ramblers and published in 2015. While communism in Italy has sadly been beaten back by the relentless efforts of Gladio-backed terrorism, I would say that songs like this still being published as far as 2015 and getting almost 600 thousand views is evidence that it has been by no means defeated.

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

The Internationale is a classic all can recognize, but this rendition in particular is my favorite. The inflection of the vocalist, distinct choices of instrumentation as well as the upbeat tempo give it an unmistakable energy which makes it stand out from other renditions of the song. As far as the musical group this originates from I sadly can't provide much insight, but surface level information says that they are politically active and involved in the fight for minorities rights in Japan, anti-war causes and support for Palestinian rights.