The analysis of “The Cancion Protesta: Protest song of Latin America” album produced by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings reveals the voices of Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Peru, and Uruguay struggling with the revolution and for liberation. Committed musicians from all several of these third world places came together to sing for each other and the Cuban people by discovering the ways in which they could better serve the powerful currents and new changes being made around them. The genre’s of the produced work is Latin, Folk, World, & Country. Folk music consists of newly composed songs, fixed in form, and by known authors, which imitated some form of traditional music. Folk music includes both traditional music and the genre that evolved from it during the 20th century folk revival. The term originated in the 19th century, but is often applied to music older than that. Some types of folk music are also …show more content…
The act of singing protest songs that express the desires of the Central American people to obtain social and political change is both a courageous and cultural aspect that binds it’s people together. The chosen cultural theme shows great relevance to the production of music. Relevance is shown through the album produced because each song shows some sort of relation to what went on in the making. The album had song names such as “David and Goliath” and the version of this song written to Che Guevara was sung at the very moment that Che reached the Bolivian mountains. Also when Che dies… there is an change of emotion later on within the album. This was a very popular song because it initiated braveness and was sung with confidence. The thought of not having as many weapons but having a big heart is what the Vietnamese felt positive about. Overall this song carried a very positive tone, one of the most positive throughout the entire
The genre bachata was developed in the Caribbean island of Dominican Republic. This genre was created based on boleros (slow-tempo Latin music), son cubanos, waltzes, Mexican music and merengue. Bachata is well known as love and depressing songs in which many people describe them self with this genre. At one point back in the earlier 1960s, bachata was considered vulgar and low-class. “Acceptance of the music has increased significantly in the last two decades, although some dominicans, both individuals living on the island and stateside, still do not accept the music because of the implication of its lower-class origins and associations with such themes as crime, poverty, drinking, and prostitution’’(Stavans 47). The genre Bachata has spread and grown so quickly for the past few years that is has become very famous in the United States, Europe, China, and South America. The genre bachata is well known to attract people with its lyrics, instruments, and dance since it identifies many people with real life events.
Moreno asserts that ““Too many times, we have read our history books that have been written by Europeans, and it has had a tremendous impact in the way we view our culture and listen to our music. I do think that our identity is lost with it and at some point, we try to find it again later in life” (7). Students are able to see a different point of view rather than only the perspectives of textbook writers who at times deprive students from the full truth and the media who exaggerates or embellishes the truth. Many artists and musicians express their anger and oppression through music and students are able to listen to this and get the complete synopsis of problems happening in the world. For instance, in “The Embodiment of Salsa: Musicians, Instrument and the Performance of a Latina Style and Identity,” Patria Roman-Velasquez argued that the embodiment of salsa develops through specific practices whereby instruments, performance techniques, vocal sounds, bodily movements and ways of dressing are encoded and experienced as part of a particular Latin identity. Therefore, this expressing that music has much of an influence in Latin identity and the construction of identity and
“ You got no fuckin’ idea what La Raza means…It’s about our people out there working…Surviving with pride and dignity, that’s La Raza” (Frost, “La Raza, Part II”). Many people in American society keep social activities and music in two entirely different categories. Nevertheless, such classification fails to recognize how social activities and music may enlighten each other. The correlation between the major ever-changing experiences of Chicana/os has shaped Chicano music in the United States. Which showcases that music can be a powerful instrument to communicating the voice of social activities. In the twenty-first century Chianca/os continues to battle with issues of oppression, power empowerment, resistance, violence, and identity crisis.
There many types of music in this world today. In this essay I will be discussing the music of Merengue and salsa. I will also be comparing them, and telling you about each of them individually.
There are multitudinous types of Chicano music that include all types of instruments, verses, backgrounds, and purposes. According to Tatum (2001), “The popular Hispanic folk music has deep roots in Spain and Mexico, but it is a living cultural form that is forever changing and adapting to new social conditions and musical currents (Robb 1980, 5)” (p.15). Modernization also plays a key role in the diversion of Chicano music. For example, as new instruments were being invented, they were then incorporated into the music, making it sound more different and attractive. The types of Chicano music range from romance which could narrate an event, corridos, which was a form of cultural differentiation, alabanzas, which were specifically religious, and the canción, in which lovers expressed their deep adoration for each other (Tatum 2001). If a man who was lost in his woman’s eyes wanted to choose a song for their
In my personal experience, Mexican music has revolved around my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a bordertown has its Hispanic heritage. Whether I was at home, school, or even in public places, I would hear Spanish related music playing in the background. I believe Spanish music holds many values when it comes to different occasions. The music can manipulate the minds of its listeners using love, passion, and outstanding rhythms. After reading an article online, I can explain how three different genres of traditional Mexican music influence people’s culture.
Hispanic’s music had a great impact in USA. Nowadays, Americans listen to Hispanics’ music. Hispanics’ music now is part of American’s culture. These changes in USA began around of 19th century, when Hispanics immigration increases in the USA. One of the big changes in music occurred around 1940s, when Americans began to recognize the efforts of Cuban-American musicians. One of the Cuban bands was Cugat. It was known better Orchestra ‘based in New York’s Waldorf Astoria’ which had a great visual and musical style. Another Cuban band was Machito who were dominated as one of the best New York’s scenes at that time. Thanks, to those bans Americans adopted some of Cubans’ dances and performances such as rumba, mambo and cumbia. Americans used and still using the Cuban instruments like bongos and maracas to create their rhythms. Later on, Americans created Jazz by African Americans with the influenced of Cuban’s music.
The history of Chile is varied as it has influenced greatly the course of folk music in these four main areas. The history is marked by the following major events:
Mexican folk songs or corridos have encounter great change over the years. Some of the changes of corridos can be credited to the different culture we live in now. Corridos in the past have been about the Mexican-American War, but most recently corridos began to be about life struggles such as immigration and the violent drug war. While the topics of corridos have changed over the years, corridos keep a familiar format with focusing on key issues of oppression, daily life, and socially relevant events. In addition, corridos may help spread attention to events going around society that has not been brought up in the media. This at time may be informative or controversial depending on what the artist feel like talking about. Corridos try be about current issues to stay revelate in the music industry. Corridos have a huge following in Mexico because of its strong roots. Its speculated that corridos originated during the Mexican-American war to narrate the battles and war generals of those wars. Much has changed since that Mexican-American war era, but one thing still remains and that the popularity of corridos. Although corridos have much of the same structure as the past, they have changed in a great deal because of the different trends going on in society
This paper will be comparing and contrasting Merengue Tipico music, which is a type of merengue, and bachata music of the Dominican Republic. Merengue and Bachata are the two most popular music genres in the Dominican Republic. These two kinds of music represent the Dominican Republic and its people. Many Dominicans have taken their music and traditions to different parts of the world. Mainly, the Bachata and Merengue have expanded to different cities of the United States and Latin America. Although both genres have a lot of characteristics in common, they also have many differences. Two of the main differences these two genres have are the instrumentation and their artists and composers.
Puerto Rican music is an evolving art form that expresses Puerto Rican culture and identity. The development of Puerto Rican music is also a reflection of their history, both being complicated by several layers. Social, political, and economic conditions are all related to the musical expressions of Puerto Ricans (Glasser, 8). Puerto Rican migration to the United States and the culture clash experienced by migrants is another layer complicating the evolution of Puerto Rican music (Glasser, 199). Musical expression has been affected by every aspect of life for the Puerto Ricans and therefore is an illustration of the Puerto Rican experience.
Abstract Cultural representation of Latin America in 'Latinoamérica' Cultural representation is hard to pinpoint, but if you define it is people associated to the same culture must have general similarities, to a great extent, mental systems of representing themselves and very similar in symbolic. However, there are different kinds of cultural representation, both regional and continental. Here, we will discuss the continental cultural representation of Latin America. The entire culture of Latin America is too much to discuss so we focus on the message of the song 'Latinoamérica'. The cultural artefact, the song 'Latin America', tells about the culture and problems in Latin America through music.
Throughout all the anti-war protests and marches during the Vietnam War, it is interesting to note the changes in the music of that time. From the beginning of the war, where support and loyalty from Americans was present in songs, to the end of the war, where anger and distrust was evident in musical lyrics, American’s opinion changed about the war. This change in opinion was easily recognized by the altering of musical lyrics about the war when Americans grew tired of the constant sending of U.S. troops to Vietnam. The growing dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War led to increasing levels of anger and hostility in the popular music of the time.
Folk revival music, contrasting folk music’s original nationalistic and racial connotation, had a populist, political and nostalgic message, which seeked to reflect the lack of a democratic and egalitarian government. As described by Professor Perez, race in America has always been extremely complex. The complexity of race in America was exposed during the African American Civil Rights movement which lasted for fifteen years (1954-1968) and had most of the movement centered through the
In “The Rise of Calypso Feminism: Gender and Musical Politics in the Calypso” (Popular Music, 2001), author Cynthia Mahabir specifically examines and explains how calypso advanced women’s rights, and its impact in challenging gender and ethnic norms in Trinidad-Tobago. Mahabir begins with historical context, and mentions how calypso used to be dominated by men, whose lyrics and performances commonly satirized and degraded the status of women. Female calypsonians then used their music to “talk” to other women and question social conventions. They dispelled the disparaging images of women, as portrayed by male calypsonians in the past, by presenting women as strong, dignified people worthy of respect. Mahabir recounts the “divas of calypso,”