The Discursive Power of Rock en español and the Desire for Democracy

This podcast examines the perennial quest of Latin Americans and Latinx peoples to create more just and equitable societies. The series focuses on the political project of Latin American rock en español, a musical genre that challenged the hegemony of English rock and began in the 1970s.

During the 1970s, a number of Latin American countries were faced with dictatorships and military coups that led to the “dirty wars” in which citizens were traumatized, tortured, and murdered. This project will be examining the lyrics for main themes of social justice that circulated during the dirty wars of Mexico, Chile, and Argentina in particular.

We will also feature intergenerational conversations to examine the legacies of this music in our present moment and how Rock en Español was employed by LA Latinas and Latinos to fight against anti-immigrant rhetoric and politics in 1990s California.

This project is supported in part by the University of California Office of the President MRPI funding M21PR3286.