6. Uzbekistan
Music is not always used by those in power in a violent way, of course. It can also be utilised as coercive device to make people think and behave in a certain way. Take the Uzbek government's exploitation of the Spice Girls-inspired girl group Setora, for instance. They are used to promote patriotism, support for the government's war efforts, an anti-Islamic agenda and a continuing allegiance with Russia and the former Soviet Union. According to Chris Aslan, of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, the group:
"...Appear in tight khaki clothes, heavily influenced by Russian fashion, all the while singing, dancing and draping themselves over various athletic looking soldiers... One of the girls, who is in love with her soldier boyfriend, reads his letters in class while her girlfriends eagerly peer over her shoulder. mournfully droop over the heroic soldiers coffin at the military funeral."
This is an example of one way in which a popular cultural icon (in this instance, a girl group) can be utilised by a government to spread a message of unity and persuade people to believe in certain doctrines. It is far from the only example of this in action...