Apparent Allies in Central America
Props to Andrew Vargo (movement strategist extraordinaire and developer of the code driving this website) for pointing out an article about Hip Hop in Bolivia, described by the author as "music blend[ing] ancient Andean folk styles and new hip hop beats with lyrics about revolution and social change." Abraham Bojorquez, an artist in the El Alto, Bolivia, said that he performs:
to show "the reality of what is happening in our country. Through our lyrics we criticize the bad politicians that take advantage of us. With this style of hip hop, we’re an instrument of struggle, an instrument of the people . . . . The door is open to everyone…This is our proposal for how to change society," Bojorquez said. Though they collaborate with a wide variety of people, "we don’t just sing things like ‘I’m feeling bad, my girlfriend just left me and now I am going to get drunk.’ It’s more about trying to solve problems in society."
In 2005, Bolivians elected Evo Morales to the Presidency of Bolovia, making him the first indigenous head of state since the Spanish conquest nearly 500 years ago. Observed in the context of other governments in the region, such as those in Venezuela and Brazil, Morales has been increasngly perceived as a harbinger of a broader shift to the Left in Latin America .
Anyone wanna speculate on the role of revolutionary music in preparing Bolivian culture for such political assertiveness, or perhaps when the belligerent Superpower to its north might invade?