La Guitarra Trabajadora: The Role of Music in Socio-Political Conflicts and Movements

Authors

Sarah E. Garcia, University of Washington, SeattleFollow

Author Biography

Garcia is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Washington in the Integrated Social Sciences program. Her research focuses on the regions of Mexico and greater Latin America, with interests in intellectual history, political/social philosophy, and colonial/postcolonial studies of the region. Garcia was born and raised in Washington State, with origins tied to Northeastern Mexico. Stays in Spain and France have informed her research in social sciences, philosophy, history, and modern languages. She currently resides in France, where she wishes to pursue her graduate studies.

Document Type

Undergraduate Research Paper

Abstract

Violence has engulfed human history for centuries, and, in turn, has informed the evolution of culture and art created in response to this conflict. The artists who have taken it upon themselves to be at the forefront of the conversation on conflicts, aim to unite under a common ideology to seek justice with a solution (or an escape) to what plagues their communities. This research paper explores the role of art, particularly music, in socio-political conflicts and movements, using the folk music resurgence in Pinochet-era Chile, and the evolution of narco-corridos in Mexico and the United States, as examples. This study highlights Victor Jara of the Nueva Cancion Chilena movement as a key figure, with his music signaling towards resistance against oppression amidst a violent dictatorship. Contrastly, the devolution from the contentment in rural life present in historical corridos of Mexico, to the surge of narco-corridos in the contemporary age, point to a conflict between the state and marginalized communities, who instead choose to plunge into a life of organized crime. By comparing these two movements, this research addresses how art and music is used to articulate their sentiments on resistance and rebellion, and use it as a driving force in revolution.

University

University of Washington Seattle

Course

TWRT 211

Instructor

Jacob Martens

Recommended Citation

Garcia, Sarah E. (2025) "La Guitarra Trabajadora: The Role of Music in Socio-Political Conflicts and Movements," Access*: Interdisciplinary Journal of Student Research and Scholarship: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/access/vol9/iss1/3