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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Lifestyle
RFI

How singing has shaped human history, from rituals to resistance

Catholic nuns sing during a Requiem Mass in honour of Pope Francis at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi, 25 April, 2025. AFP - LUIS TATO

From religious worship to battle songs, singing has always been at the heart of human tradition. It is a form of expression, solidarity, memory and resistance. Songs tell the story of societies across the world.

"If we consider that singing is vocalising with breath, then humans have always sung," said Nathalie Henrich Bernardoni of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), who specialises in vocal sciences.

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