I decided to begin a new topic for my passion blogs and start doing song analyses. From all the examples I have seen, they were reviews of music popular in the United States, so I decided to focus on music from Latin America.
Today’s song is…
Latinoamérica by Calle 13
English Subtitles:
Yes, this song is literally about Latin America, but I think it gives a great overview of what my people are really about. I would like to point out that the duo has included the host introducing them in Quiché, an indigenous language largely spoken in Guatemala. This is important because everyone knows that Latinos speak Spanish and Portuguese, yet people forget that there are still indigenous groups that inhabit Latin America.
Now, let’s look at the lyrics (in English of course):
I am, I am what they left
I’m all the left overs from what was stolen
We start listening to an affirmation about identity. The singer is referring to the “conquista” after the “discovery” of Latin America and how the Spanish murdered the Indigenous and stole their goods. The people that make up and are descendant from Latin America are those very descendants of their ancestors that were spared and survived.
My skin is leather, that’s why it can withstand any weather
I am a smoke factory
Peasant labor for your consumption
Many Latinos, especially the indigenous, work in fields with no protection for long periods of time. For that they need to be very durable and dependable people. The food we eat has been picked by Latin Americans who work for very minimum wage.
A political speech without saliva
Many politicians, including ones of their own, have made many empty promises and lied in order to get the Latino vote and support.
I am the photograph of a disappeared person
In Central and South America, mainly in Argentina, there has been a period of time where these governments would kidnap and kill anyone that spoke out against the government. It was an attempt to silence its citizens, but years later the relatives of the disappeared have come forward and shared their experience about the disappearance of their loved one.
I am Latin America
A people without legs, but that walks
Every country in Latin America has lost so much throughout their history and in result lives in poverty (labeled as third-world countries). Still, an effort is made and move forward in an effort to show the world what we are worth.
Raw work, but with pride
Here it is shared, mine is yours
Although many find the field worker job embarrassing, they take pride in their jobs because they know the significance and importance behind it. A common saying in Latin America, that holds especially true in impoverished areas; the less one has, the more they share.
[Chorus]
This land is not for sale
You can not buy my life
These lyrics are mainly in response to the extortion of Latin American land through tourism or government greed. Many foreigners come to Latin America to take advantage of the land or low cost of living and do not value and disrespect the the culture and people there. Although money can buy many things, it cannot buy nature or the way that one feels. This is also a protest against materialism.
Citations
File:La Captura De Moctezuma.png – Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Captura_de_Moctezuma.png.
“The Mothers of the Plaza of Mayo.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089460/.
Polanco, Carlos Edill Berríos. “Puerto Ricans Set up Encampments to Protest Environmental Destruction.” Latino Rebels, Latino Rebels, 6 Jan. 2023, https://www.latinorebels.com/2023/01/06/puertoricobeachenvironment/.