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

Jorge Leal
History
UC Riverside

This project examines the political projects of Latin American and Latinx peoples to create more just and equitable societies. In particular, it focuses on the political project of Latin American rock en español, a musical genre that challenged the hegemony of English rock in the 1970s. During that time, 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 examines song lyrics for the main themes of social justice that circulated during the dirty wars of Mexico, Chile, and Argentina in particular. We connect these lyrics to the Los Angeles rock en español scene of the 1990s that was fueled by anti-immigration and anti-Latin American political and social rhetoric. In six two-hour podcasts, we offer interviews with scholars and rock en español figures in both Latin America and Los Angeles.