The first cultural work I chose is a song called “Gracias a la Vida’’ by Violeta Parra from 1966. I chose this song because it has a powerful meaning behind the lyrics. “.. the song is an ode to life’s blessings and hardships.’’ (Stereogum, 2021). This song has become a national treasure covered by various artists worldwide. The video below is a cover by Mercedes Sosa. It is by far my favorite cover because her voice captures sadness and gratefulness all in one. When times are tough and I need a pick-me-up, I play this song, sing with praise, and feel my heartbeat slow down.
My second cultural work is the tango from Argentina. The movement of the tango is stealthy, almost cat-like, and has an unmistakable dramatic attitude involved in the dance. The tango has always caught my eye because the dance holds so much passion in the eyes of the performers. “.. originating from the streets of 18th century Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay as the favorite
dance of the European immigrants, former slaves, working and lower classes of people
.” (Dance Facts, 2023). This dance is one I would love to learn properly one day.
Both cultural works reflect its time period. “Gracias a la Vida” was written in 1966, in Bolivia, during a time when there was a major war going on. The artist who created this song committed suicide a year later by a gunshot wound to the head. Many people see this song as a suicide note left behind by the artist. The tango dance was created in the 1700s by slaves and working-class people. The dance was fueled by the emotions of thousands of young immigrant men who arrived in Argentina searching for a better life. (Dance Facts, 2023) This shows that both cultural works were made and created from the struggles of men and women from the time era they were in.
