Anthony Ballas: Soundtrack to a Coup d'ÉtatIn this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Anthony J. Ballas, lecturer in English at the University of Colorado–Denver and a scholar of political philosophy, literature, and cultural theory. We discuss the powerful documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d’État, exploring how it confronts the weaponization of jazz during the Cold War, the contradictions of using Black art to mask American imperialism, and the legacy of artists like Louis Armstrong, Max Roach, and Nina Simone. Dr. Ballas breaks down how the film links Cold War coups and cultural propaganda to present-day resource extraction in the Congo, and why the documentary’s archival style is itself a radical political act.
