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Language
English (en)
Date of Award
5-1-2006
Author's Department
International and Area Studies
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
Restricted/Unrestricted
Restricted
Abstract
In the 1960s Chilean popular music became intertwined with a left-wing social movement, developing a relationship between music and politics which lasted for decades. Artists composed political songs and became involved in left-wing activism. Most notably, Nueva Canci6n contributed to the election of President Salvador Allende in 1970, while Canto Nuevo and the music produced in exile impacted the fall of Dictator Augusto Pinochet in I 989. Nueva Canci6n, Canto Nuevo and the music produced in exile under Pinochet's dictatorship have all left behind commanding ideological legacies, and their influence over politics is undeniable. However, at first glance the three seem to have little in common besides leftist political stances. The environments in which they were created are so diverse that it seems unlikely that their messages would coincide. Nueva Canci6n worked with Allende's campaign and enjoyed much friendlier conditions than the music produced during Pinochet's regime: 3 Canto Nuevo musicians were subjected to intense censorship and musicians in exile were forced to adapt to new locations and audiences. The political left has always been criticized for being fragmented, and these situational differences increase the potential for factionalism. Due to the varying environments in which the three were created, each had different immediate political goals. Nueva Canci6n artists strived to implement socialism through bringing Salvador Allende into office, while Canto Nuevo artists worked with those in exile to remove Augusto Pinochet's regime and restore democracy. Though Canto Nuevo musicians and those in exile had the same objective, they worked towards their goal in different ways: the former maintained morale within Chile while the latter spread awareness abroad. The three musical movements also had different ways of expressing political beliefs in their music: while musicians of Nueva Canci6n and those in exile were forceful in their messages, those of Canto Nuevo used literary devices to subtly express theirs. In all, their differences appear to overwhelm the fact that they share association with the political left. The Nueva Canci6
Mentor
Andrew Brown
Additional Advisors
Maria Fernanda Lander I
Recommended Citation
Gutowski, Laura Ann, "On the Guitar: Chilean Popular Music 1960-1989" (2006). Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses. 114.
https://repository.library.washu.edu/undergrad_etd/114