Latin American protest songs have evolved over the decades
Just like protest songs helped define 1960s America, today the impact of Latin Americas cancion de protesta cant be understated bringing injustice to light while advocating for social change. SEE ALSO: Calle 13 and Silvio Rodriguez clash in sweet melody Record producer and recording artist Rachel Faro, who is an expert on not only the history but also the current state of the protest song movement, told Voxxi there are major differences between what Bob Dylan did 50 years ago and what Latin America artists have experienced. The tradition started with nueva trova back in the 70s and 80s, with people like Silvio Rodríguez and Fito Páez, Faro said. But today, the whole tradition of protest song and the singer-songwriter approach seeps into pop music. Its much more normal for a pop song to come out with some kind of a stand. Another difference between the Latin American protest singer and their American counterpart involves the risks associated with speaking ones mind can have life or death ramifications. Those original nuevo trova protest singers were inspired by the U.S. protest singers, Bob Dylan was a huge influence on those guys, Faro said. While their original style and inspiration came out of the U.S. singers, for them it was a lot more real and a lot more scary. Dylan had free speech so he wasnt going to get killed for singing a protest song. Thats what happened to Víctor Jara in Chile, where he was a popular folk singer in the early 70s. When Chiles leader Salvador Allende was overthrown by a coup, the military leaders captured the artists and other intellectuals who were against the regime change. Víctor Jara was a big star and made a lot of records, Faro said. When he was rounded up, they stuck them in a stadium with like 5,000 people. When people in the stadium realized that he was there its like finding out Bob Dylan is there they all freaked out. He started singing to them in the stadium.” He wrote a very famous poem [known as Estadio Chile] about his experience in the stadium, which was found later. What happened is they tried to make him stop singing and they tortured him and broke his hands. They killed him and dumped his body outside of the stadium. SEE ALSO: Jorge Drexler masters the art of dance rhythms Today, the scene of his murder is now named the Víctor Jara Stadium. The singers legend remains just as strong today. In fact, on his last tour of Latin America, Bruce Springsteen performed Jaras “Manifiesto nearly 40 years to the day of his death. As for the modern protest song in Latin America, Faro points to the work from artists such as Juanes (Colombian), Jorge Drexler (Uruguayan) or Molotov (Mexican) as defining the Latin American scene. The most remarkable is Calle 13, a hip-hop group from Puerto Rico, Faro said. Theyve got more Latin Grammys than anybody else. They just performed at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. Talk about a memorable event, at the show President Obama announced his immigration initiative, which was followed by Calle 13 performance of its latest single Multi Viral. The track is in the true spirit of a cancion de protesta, dealing with everything from climate change and drones to President Obama and the economy. Its like a very potent song and the moment was amazing, Faro said. Todays protest music reflects whats going on. It gives people a voice. Different countries have different issues. SEE ALSO: Cristian Castro heads to Cuba to seek fresh music inspiration The cancion de protesta has evolved over the decades with artists no longer singing about military dictatorships as much as social change. Faro added, Now changes have come and they will continue to come. I think a lot of these artists basically are articulating general waves of change that are happening already.The post Latin American protest songs have evolved over the decades appeared first on Voxxi.
Just like protest songs helped define 1960s America, today the impact of Latin Americas cancion de protesta cant be understated bringing injustice to light while advocating for social change.
SEE ALSO: Calle 13 and Silvio Rodriguez clash in sweet melody
Record producer and recording artist Rachel Faro, who is an expert on not only the history but also the current state of the protest song movement, told Voxxi there are major differences between what Bob Dylan did 50 years ago and what Latin America artists have experienced.
The tradition started with nueva trova back in the 70s and 80s, with people like Silvio Rodríguez and Fito Páez, Faro said. But today, the whole tradition of protest song and the singer-songwriter approach seeps into pop music. Its much more normal for a pop song to come out with some kind of a stand.
Another difference between the Latin American protest singer and their American counterpart involves the risks associated with speaking ones mind can have life or death ramifications.
Those original nuevo trova protest singers were inspired by the U.S. protest singers, Bob Dylan was a huge influence on those guys, Faro said. While their original style and inspiration came out of the U.S. singers, for them it was a lot more real and a lot more scary. Dylan had free speech so he wasnt going to get killed for singing a protest song.
Thats what happened to Víctor Jara in Chile, where he was a popular folk singer in the early 70s. When Chiles leader Salvador Allende was overthrown by a coup, the military leaders captured the artists and other intellectuals who were against the regime change.
Víctor Jara was a big star and made a lot of records, Faro said. When he was rounded up, they stuck them in a stadium with like 5,000 people. When people in the stadium realized that he was there its like finding out Bob Dylan is there they all freaked out. He started singing to them in the stadium.”
He wrote a very famous poem [known as Estadio Chile] about his experience in the stadium, which was found later. What happened is they tried to make him stop singing and they tortured him and broke his hands. They killed him and dumped his body outside of the stadium.
SEE ALSO: Jorge Drexler masters the art of dance rhythms
Today, the scene of his murder is now named the Víctor Jara Stadium. The singers legend remains just as strong today. In fact, on his last tour of Latin America, Bruce Springsteen performed Jaras “Manifiesto nearly 40 years to the day of his death.
As for the modern protest song in Latin America, Faro points to the work from artists such as Juanes (Colombian), Jorge Drexler (Uruguayan) or Molotov (Mexican) as defining the Latin American scene.
The most remarkable is Calle 13, a hip-hop group from Puerto Rico, Faro said. Theyve got more Latin Grammys than anybody else. They just performed at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas.
Talk about a memorable event, at the show President Obama announced his immigration initiative, which was followed by Calle 13 performance of its latest single Multi Viral. The track is in the true spirit of a cancion de protesta, dealing with everything from climate change and drones to President Obama and the economy.
Its like a very potent song and the moment was amazing, Faro said. Todays protest music reflects whats going on. It gives people a voice. Different countries have different issues.
SEE ALSO: Cristian Castro heads to Cuba to seek fresh music inspiration
The cancion de protesta has evolved over the decades with artists no longer singing about military dictatorships as much as social change.
Faro added, Now changes have come and they will continue to come. I think a lot of these artists basically are articulating general waves of change that are happening already.
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