Gill Scott Heron who died on the 20th May 2011 will always associated with the line “The revolution will not be televised”. A few months before he died, what’s now known as The Egyptian Revolution of 25 January 2011, was very much televised as ordinary people used their mobile phones to uploaded files to the web for the world to see. Amazing how things changed since Scott Heron wrote those lines.
“The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
…
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.”
“— From the song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron. Gil Scott-Heron was an American poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and 80s, and for his collaborative soul works with musician Brian Jackson. Scott-Heron’s recording work is often associated with black militant activism and has received much critical acclaim for one of his most well-known compositions “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. His poetic style has been influential upon every generation of hip hop since his popularity began. In addition to being widely considered an influence in today’s music, Scott-Heron remained active until his death, and in 2010 released his first new album in 16 years, entitled I’m New Here.” (Quote Vadis)
“We are All Khaled Saeed” was the name of the facebook page created by a Dubai based Google marketing executive Wael Ghonim. He set up the page to get the support of ‘social media’ behind events in North Africa after the brutal killing of Saeed in June 2010. This revolution was televised and Scott Heron approved.
