Popular Music as a History Book: Latin America in the 20th Century

In 2011, the famous Puerto Rican band Calle 13 released the song “Latinoamérica”, an epic piece that not only skyrocketed the transnational popularity of the band, but that became somewhat of an unofficial anthem for many peoples across Latin America and the Caribbean. By referring to Latin America in the lyrics as “un discurso político sin saliva” [or “a saliva-less political discourse”] and as “un pueblo sin piernas pero que camina” [or “leg-less people who still walk”], amidst several unmistakable cultural and historical references, the song managed to portray better than any book the sentiments and experiences of countless peoples. Indeed, notwithstanding the rigor and depth of many history books, popular music has been often a more effective vehicle to keep a record of the past, one that continues to resonate as people kept struggling with the aftermath of history.

This course offers both a historical and a musical journey through Latin America in the 20th century. From the sound recordings that accompanied the unfolding of the Mexican Revolution to the music of Post-revolutionary Cuba to the songs that denounced the ruthlessness of dictatorial regimes in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, the course will be an opportunity to learn history through music, and thus, to appreciate history in a whole new light. Yet music will not be simply studied as a mode of expression or as a primary source of historical information. We will also examine the multiple roles of music, media, and the arts in society, and their transcendence far beyond the arena of entertainment. Rather than following a streamlined chronological presentation, the contents will be organized in three units, titled respectively: a) Music, History, and Society; b) A Recent Past of Dictatorships; and c) U.S.-Latin American Relations and Social Justice.

This course is eligible for honors credit through Hutton Honors College. 

Catalog Information: MUS-Z 213  LAT AMER/LATINO POP MUSC CULTR

Instructor:

Sergio Ospina-Romero

Email:

sospinar@iu.edu

Department:

Jacobs School of Music

Sergio Ospina-Romero is assistant professor of music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He is a musician, anthropologist, cultural historian, and musicologist. His research and publications are mostly about sound reproduction technologies, Latin American music, and jazz. He is the author of three books, Dolor que canta (2017), Fonógrafos Ambulantes (2024), and Talking Machine Empires (forthcoming). He has also published several articles, book chapters, and short pieces that have appeared in journals, books, and blogs across the Americas. Awards include the Klaus P. Wachsmann Prize of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Cornell University’s Donald J. Grout Memorial Prize, a Fulbright Scholarship, and an honorary mention at the Premio de Musicología de Casa de las Américas. Sergio is the pianist and director of the Latin jazz quartet Palonegro and of La Salsoteca, a powerhouse of salsa and other Latin musics.

GenEd Information: Approved for the Arts & Humanities requirement of the IU Bloomington General Education program. Approved for the World Cultures requirement of the IU Bloomington General Education program.