AND
in the decade of the 60 In Mexico, a series of mobilizations from different sectors of society took place, which were accompanied by different songs, which, at the same time as informing and denouncing injustice, became a testimony.
Despite censorship and being ignored by the media, the dissemination of these songs was always present, having as channels of propagation the social movements in which they originated. Over time, little by little they proliferated in other spaces, such as in small forums and folklore clubs, until they gathered thousands on large stages.
Already in the 70s, with the rise of Latin American songs and from the South American exiles, this song became stronger. This was the beginning of the golden years, in which a large number of young people formed musical groups, and along with other artistic manifestations such as theater, poetry, dance and graphics, they achieved the creation of an alternative and protesting musical movement, which had various names that ranged from the protest song to the new song.
Its diffusion spread with the emergence of independent record labels and the inclusion in some of the main transnational record companies that were releasing drop by drop the works of the artists of this movement. The government added to this opening, which along with the political reform, opened cultural institutions, remunerating musicians and at the same time ensuring that diffusion grew throughout the country.
This caused the musicians to organize, going through processes of definition and self-criticism regarding their quality and identity, debating their position towards the government and the mass media. Also at that time there were currents that rejected rock, calling it part of cultural penetration, and even becoming censors about the electronic instrumentation used in musical repertoires. On the other hand, a division also began within the union, fragmenting between the “stars”, who monopolized the big stages, and the rest of the musicians, who were relegated or who hardly had access despite their creativity, quality, commitment and attendance.
Dissemination in the print media was also scarce; This song did not have much echo in the culture and entertainment pages of the newspapers. The same thing happened on radio stations and on television, but despite this underestimation, this song grew alongside the overflow of social protests for legitimate demands that were even tinged with blood. For this reason, this song also included within its musical notes themes dedicated to those who gave their lives fighting for freedom.
The first written literary work, published in 1976, was not in favor of this musical movement; It went from being a scientific dissertation to a mockery, even personalized, that had no more resonance than becoming a libel. It was not until 18 years later that a response was published, and since that time, both academic researchers and the musicians themselves who participated in this movement have written texts that, in a reasoned manner, explain everything from its origins and evolution to the description of the most relevant events that have taken place. At present, there are university theses at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels that reinforce this social area, while creating the General Song Archive, striving to document music in social movements.
In the audiovisual field, documentation has also been scarce, and above all more personalized, such as the cases of Amparo Ochoa and León Chávez Teixeiro, who have some documentaries regarding their work, but in a general way, except for the Australian documentary of 1987. South of the borderwhich includes several Mexican protagonists within the Central American area, to date there is no documentary that generally explores this movement and that integrates both the different participating musicians and the different musical genres, ranging from children’s songs and rock to traditional music and political songs.
It is in this way that A song of freedom and hopea documentary by Óscar Carrillo and Fernando Morán, begins by opening this gap, in which nearly 20 artists who have been concurrent with this movement participate, also counting on the focus of art critics and researchers.
The documentary will be premiered at the Villa Olímpica cinema on Saturday, November 22 at 1:30 p.m. In the following days, ranging from November 23 to December 2, other presentations will take place in different locations in Mexico City. In all functions, entry will be free.
* Chronicler and musical historian
