Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department
History
Advisor/Committee Chair
Michael Taylor
Committee Member
Alexander Dawson
Abstract
This thesis investigates the significance of musical experiences for understanding the evolution of leftist culture across the late 20th century and contemporary era in Chile. An analysis of the musical experiences of leftist prisoners during the Pinochet era and contemporary protests finds that traditional politico-economic narratives are insufficient for explaining the cultural evolution of the Chilean left. Daily musical experiences across these eras suggests that there may be a long-term cultural habit within the Chilean left that utilizes music for expressing dissent and sustaining solidarity. Political prisoners of the Pinochet era were found to clandestinely use songs to preserve their culture. It is also suggested that musical experiences are culturally important for both political prisoners and modern protestors due to a shared cultural common ancestor. Furthermore, this thesis challenges the existing historiography's emphasis on the nueva canción genre of protest music, as other forms of quotidian musical experiences are important for understanding the social history of Chile’s late 20th century. This analysis supports a call for a 'decentering' of Chilean history, incorporating the wider experiences of ordinary Chileans.
Recommended Citation
Daniels, Maxam A.B., "Musical Memory and Chile’s Late 20th Century" (2024). History Honors Program. 39.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/history_honors/39