Noriko Manabe
@nmanabe.bsky.social
Professor, music theory, ethnomusicology, Japan studies. Research in music & social movements, popular music, music & language. Author, Protest Music after Fukushima; Editor, Oxford Handbook of Protest Music, 33-1/3 Japan. Views my own. linktr.ee/nmanabe
Pinned
Noriko Manabe
@nmanabe.bsky.social
· Jun 27
Intertextuality in Protest Music: A Typology
AbstractMusic in social movements regularly recalls preexisting music, text, and symbols, which can capture attention, resonate with historical memory, enh
doi.org
My chapter, “Intertextuality in Protest Music: A Typology” in The Oxford Handbook of Protest Music, edited by Eric Drott and me, has been published on Oxford Handbooks Online. doi.org/10.1093/oxfo...
Links to videos and audio can be found here: www.norikomanabe.com/publications...
Links to videos and audio can be found here: www.norikomanabe.com/publications...
I was interviewed by Axios on recent protest music about ICE. www.axios.com/2026/02/02/p...
The playlist of the resistance
Dissenters are harnessing music as a tool of resistance.
www.axios.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:29 PM
I was interviewed by Axios on recent protest music about ICE. www.axios.com/2026/02/02/p...
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
The Nation has nominated the people of Minneapolis for a Nobel Peace Price. Help out below:
https://bit.ly/4q9datK
https://bit.ly/4q9datK
Help Minneapolis Get a Nobel Peace Prize
Students protest against ICE during a walkout at the University of Minnesota, on January 26, 2026 (Brandon Bell / Getty Images) The editors of The Nation are formally nominating the city of Minneapo...
bit.ly
January 31, 2026 at 2:45 PM
The Nation has nominated the people of Minneapolis for a Nobel Peace Price. Help out below:
https://bit.ly/4q9datK
https://bit.ly/4q9datK
Turns out net debtors can’t tick off everyone all the time. Dollar down 10% against other currencies; demand for US equities and govt bonds down, with negative implications for market performance and interest rates. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/b...
Sell America Is the New Trade on Wall Street
www.nytimes.com
January 31, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Turns out net debtors can’t tick off everyone all the time. Dollar down 10% against other currencies; demand for US equities and govt bonds down, with negative implications for market performance and interest rates. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/b...
I participated in @npr.org AirTalk with Larry Mantle, where callers chimed in on what they thought about @brucespringsteen.net 's new anthem on #ICE and #Minneapolis. Some very interesting comments. omny.fm/shows/airtal...
What goes into ‘know your rights’ training?, TV Talk, and more - AirTalk
Today on AirTalk:
Bruce Springsteen has a new protest song — but does it matter? (0:30)
How are restaurants doing amid ICE raids and weak consumer confidence? ? (20:17)
New book digs into how easy ...
omny.fm
January 30, 2026 at 2:15 PM
I participated in @npr.org AirTalk with Larry Mantle, where callers chimed in on what they thought about @brucespringsteen.net 's new anthem on #ICE and #Minneapolis. Some very interesting comments. omny.fm/shows/airtal...
This excellent article by @alexlauer.bsky.social considers ICE protest songs, many by Minneapolis musicians whom he interviews, and the role of music in protests. I was privileged to offer comments. www.insidehook.com/music/ice-pr...
This Machine Melts ICE: The Protest Songs Galvanizing Minneapolis, and Now the Entire Country
Minnesota musicians processed their grief through song and inspired countless others in the process. Now, Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews are amplifying the message.
www.insidehook.com
January 30, 2026 at 12:05 PM
This excellent article by @alexlauer.bsky.social considers ICE protest songs, many by Minneapolis musicians whom he interviews, and the role of music in protests. I was privileged to offer comments. www.insidehook.com/music/ice-pr...
"It’s our blood and bones
And these whistles and phones
Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies"
I also appreciate the ironic evocation of the national anthem, and that the samples of protesters' chants haven't been edited to fit the music's tempo, allowing them to coexist like sounds at a protest.
And these whistles and phones
Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies"
I also appreciate the ironic evocation of the national anthem, and that the samples of protesters' chants haven't been edited to fit the music's tempo, allowing them to coexist like sounds at a protest.
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Stay free
Stay free
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
youtu.be
January 28, 2026 at 7:46 PM
"It’s our blood and bones
And these whistles and phones
Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies"
I also appreciate the ironic evocation of the national anthem, and that the samples of protesters' chants haven't been edited to fit the music's tempo, allowing them to coexist like sounds at a protest.
And these whistles and phones
Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies"
I also appreciate the ironic evocation of the national anthem, and that the samples of protesters' chants haven't been edited to fit the music's tempo, allowing them to coexist like sounds at a protest.
I've written this blogpost on ICE protest chants & songs, w/ a large section of transcriptions of singing at protests by faith leaders and the Singing Resistance. It also includes songs about ICE agents' perceived masculinity issues and new songs protesting ICE. medium.com/@norikomanab...
ICE protest songs and chants, Minnesota general strike (January 23) and beyond
Transcriptions of singing at ICE protests by faith leaders and protesters. Songs about ICE’s masculinity issues. Other songs about the ICE…
medium.com
January 25, 2026 at 11:02 PM
I've written this blogpost on ICE protest chants & songs, w/ a large section of transcriptions of singing at protests by faith leaders and the Singing Resistance. It also includes songs about ICE agents' perceived masculinity issues and new songs protesting ICE. medium.com/@norikomanab...
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
January 25, 2026 at 5:39 PM
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
I called yesterday and will call again today. If you’re new to it, 5calls.org has got your back.
January 24, 2026 at 4:58 PM
I called yesterday and will call again today. If you’re new to it, 5calls.org has got your back.
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.
The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
January 24, 2026 at 4:04 PM
I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.
The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
Noem's claim is FALSE. Here is ICE's own data on the detention population among those arrested by ICE:
- 43% no criminal record (up from 6% at the start of the year),
- 29% at least one prior conviction*
- 28% at least one pending charge
*most common are traffic and immigration offenses.
- 43% no criminal record (up from 6% at the start of the year),
- 29% at least one prior conviction*
- 28% at least one pending charge
*most common are traffic and immigration offenses.
January 18, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Noem's claim is FALSE. Here is ICE's own data on the detention population among those arrested by ICE:
- 43% no criminal record (up from 6% at the start of the year),
- 29% at least one prior conviction*
- 28% at least one pending charge
*most common are traffic and immigration offenses.
- 43% no criminal record (up from 6% at the start of the year),
- 29% at least one prior conviction*
- 28% at least one pending charge
*most common are traffic and immigration offenses.
I've updated this blog with more singing at protests--it's a thing these days, apparently. Some of them are moving; for others, mileage may vary depending on where one sits politically.
I've written this blogpost on protest chants, transcribed, from protests since Renee Good's killing by ICE. At the end, I present two songs written about ICE. medium.com/@norikomanab...
January 16, 2026 at 10:01 PM
I've updated this blog with more singing at protests--it's a thing these days, apparently. Some of them are moving; for others, mileage may vary depending on where one sits politically.
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
Yes, immigration agents not only took Arnoldo's phone, the 10th grader had to use Find My Phone to locate it — in a vending machine for used electronics, close to an ICE detention center.
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
January 14, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Yes, immigration agents not only took Arnoldo's phone, the 10th grader had to use Find My Phone to locate it — in a vending machine for used electronics, close to an ICE detention center.
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
Read the full story here:
www.propublica.org/article/vide...
I've written this blogpost on protest chants, transcribed, from protests since Renee Good's killing by ICE. At the end, I present two songs written about ICE. medium.com/@norikomanab...
January 13, 2026 at 3:08 PM
I've written this blogpost on protest chants, transcribed, from protests since Renee Good's killing by ICE. At the end, I present two songs written about ICE. medium.com/@norikomanab...
I’d also note that the US is a net debtor nation, so the last thing it should be doing is spooking foreign investors by compromising the central bank’s independence.
What can history teach us about what happens when a populist strongman with an idiosyncratic taste for low interest rates undermines central bank independence?
January 12, 2026 at 11:24 AM
I’d also note that the US is a net debtor nation, so the last thing it should be doing is spooking foreign investors by compromising the central bank’s independence.
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
hi, political philosopher here! this is not funny, central banks only do this when they're in extreme distress
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell
YouTube video by Federal Reserve
www.youtube.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:04 AM
hi, political philosopher here! this is not funny, central banks only do this when they're in extreme distress
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
Kristi Noem, while governor of South Dakota, supplemented her roughly $130,000 salary by secretly accepting $80,000 donated to a political nonprofit she was affiliated with, records show.
She never disclosed this income on federal ethics forms.
(Published June 2025)
She never disclosed this income on federal ethics forms.
(Published June 2025)
Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations
A dark money group paid $80,000 to Noem’s personal company when she was governor of South Dakota. She did not include this income on her federal disclosure forms, a likely violation of ethics requirem...
www.propublica.org
January 11, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Kristi Noem, while governor of South Dakota, supplemented her roughly $130,000 salary by secretly accepting $80,000 donated to a political nonprofit she was affiliated with, records show.
She never disclosed this income on federal ethics forms.
(Published June 2025)
She never disclosed this income on federal ethics forms.
(Published June 2025)
Real vs. misleading headlines from the NYTimes, pt 2: How on earth does the editor read this graph to show a "modest" pace of job growth? Contrast this with the straight-forward headline from the Financial Times, on the right.
January 9, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Real vs. misleading headlines from the NYTimes, pt 2: How on earth does the editor read this graph to show a "modest" pace of job growth? Contrast this with the straight-forward headline from the Financial Times, on the right.
I’ll believe the BBC over the NY Times given these headlines.
January 9, 2026 at 12:09 PM
I’ll believe the BBC over the NY Times given these headlines.
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
The “prosecute the former regime at every level” candidate has my vote in 2028.
January 7, 2026 at 8:26 PM
The “prosecute the former regime at every level” candidate has my vote in 2028.
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
Anyone who has read Copaganda knows that we are in the crucial early moments of virality after an extra-judicial police murder. It's extremely important for ICE that the media plays along with the idea that what happened is contested and there are multiple perspectives.
January 7, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Anyone who has read Copaganda knows that we are in the crucial early moments of virality after an extra-judicial police murder. It's extremely important for ICE that the media plays along with the idea that what happened is contested and there are multiple perspectives.
I made this video on the relationship between Japanese language and Western-based musical styles for the French Society for Japanese Studies. It looks at how word and stress systems interact with musical rhetoric and how gendered language contributes to narrative. youtu.be/IqQ0Iy_7dIQ
Japanese language in Western-based popular music, by Noriko Manabe.
YouTube video by Noriko Manabe
youtu.be
January 5, 2026 at 4:23 PM
I made this video on the relationship between Japanese language and Western-based musical styles for the French Society for Japanese Studies. It looks at how word and stress systems interact with musical rhetoric and how gendered language contributes to narrative. youtu.be/IqQ0Iy_7dIQ
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
1. The military raid on Venezuela and ouster of Maduro will create a financial windfall for a Trump-supporting billionaire, investor Paul Singer.
Follow this thread for details.
🧵
popular.info/p/venezuela-...
Follow this thread for details.
🧵
popular.info/p/venezuela-...
Venezuela raid enriches MAGA billionaire
The ouster of Maduro is a financial windfall for a prominent Trump-supporting billionaire, investor Paul Singer.
popular.info
January 5, 2026 at 1:38 PM
1. The military raid on Venezuela and ouster of Maduro will create a financial windfall for a Trump-supporting billionaire, investor Paul Singer.
Follow this thread for details.
🧵
popular.info/p/venezuela-...
Follow this thread for details.
🧵
popular.info/p/venezuela-...
Reposted by Noriko Manabe
Washington National Opera may move out of Kennedy Center due to Trump ‘takeover’
Ticket sales at about 40% unsold compared with before president made himself chair of US performing arts center
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Ticket sales at about 40% unsold compared with before president made himself chair of US performing arts center
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Washington National Opera may move out of Kennedy Center due to Trump ‘takeover’
Ticket sales at about 40% unsold compared with before president made himself chair of US performing arts center
www.theguardian.com
December 27, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Washington National Opera may move out of Kennedy Center due to Trump ‘takeover’
Ticket sales at about 40% unsold compared with before president made himself chair of US performing arts center
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Ticket sales at about 40% unsold compared with before president made himself chair of US performing arts center
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...