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Sing the Latin American “New Song” movement, 1960s and 1970s - programa #124


As we strap into the Wayback machine we’re hoping to discover a brave new future in a worker’s paradise (or at least a summer vacation in the Catskills) driven by our fervent calls for regime change and, perhaps, armed revolution. Those were the days, circa 1965-75, when throughout Latin America,  leftists caught a glimmer of hope that life could factually improve for the most downtrodden amongst them. These songs were born of that movement toward justice, equality and a pollo in every pot. A rediscovery and rebirth of traditional folk music was part of the inspiration as well  . . . [continues below]

Al compás del mundo - The Latin American “New Song” movement, 1960s and 1970s
First broadcast 4-18-24

01 Soledad Bravo - Punto y raya (Venezuela)

02 Isabel y Ángel Parra - Este presente festín se lo regalo a cualquiera (Chile)

03 Haciendo Punto en Otro Son - La vida campesina (Puerto Rico)

04 Amparo Ochoa - Por medio de la lectura (México)

05 Atahualpa Yupanqui - Indiecito dormido (Argentina)

06 Carlos Puebla - Hasta siempre (Cuba) [SHOWN BELOW]

07 Karaxú - Los libertadores (Chile)

08 Mercedes Sosa - Si se calla el cantor (Argentina)

09 Daniel Viglietti - Me matan si no trabajo (Uruguay)

10 Los Folkloristas - Manifiesto (México)

11 Los Guaraguao - No basta rezar (Venezuela)

12 Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy - Yo soy de un pueblo sencillo (Nicaragua)

13 Inti Illimani - Rin del angelito (Chile)

14 Violeta Parra - La pericona se ha muerto (Chile) [SHOWN ABOVE]

15 Alfredo Zitarrosa - La ley es tela de araña (Uruguay)

16 Quilapayún - La Batea (Chile)

17 Taoné - Qué bonita bandera (Puerto Rico)

18 Silvio Rodríguez - Madre (Cuba)

 . . . Great art is born of desperation and despair, say some critics, and a number of the themes in this playlist have emerged to become anthems of change familiar to millions, that still, today, are timely and cogent. Has poverty and brutal government repression been eliminated, though? Let’s take the pulse: Cuba – pretty much a basket case in many measures of the “happy life” index; Venezuela: a dictatorship run as a perpetual motion machine (working in the Chavistas favor); Nicaragua: another dictatorship run by those dictatorial forces that overthrew the previous dictator; Puerto Rico: retains its second-class status as a U.S. Commonwealth (misnomer!), still waiting for disaster recovery funds and, apparently, deserving of a paper towel toss; Argentina: 212% inflation last year – though, obviously, a ruined economy improves over a time when thousands were being “disappeared” by the military rulers. I’m not saying Villela, Somoza, Pinochet, Echevarria or Batista weren’t horrendous human beings that should have been plucked from their mothers’ wombs by vultures, or that U.S. sanctions and political chicanery haven’t stood as formidable obstacles in these countries’ development – but we’re teetering on the balance beam of relativity. Because there are those countries represented herein who have made the overthrow of entrenched self-interested leaders work in their favor. Mexico, Uruguay, and Chile are led by folk who are actually working amidst the confines of capitalistic systems to improve the lives of the have-nots within their borders. 

All this to say that the heroic and righteous lyrics of those political songs in this program emboldened the hope of millions amongst the (mostly) younger generation in its time. If their expectations have not been fulfilled, it’s not for lack of trying. 



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