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SatLatin America's musical history is inextricably entangled with narratives of resistance and political struggle. Currently, Latin American music continues to be not only a reflection of social conditions, but also a tool used to fight for freedom, decolonisation, and democratic and social progress—a force where diverse cultural scenes congregate around shared values.
As those with progressive political views—particularly the underprivileged lower-class, women, queer people, and POC—face intense hostility, a new generation of activists are fervently resisting these developments. This panel will provide insights into the current political climate in various Latin American countries and discuss musicians’ role, radical practices, and strategies.
Hailing from São Paulo, Rakta is the gothic postpunk outfit making waves with their audacious brand of psychedelic garage. From the release of their eponymous record in 2013, they have emerged from the DIY punk scene of São Paulo to arouse international attention.
Chilean producer and DJ Valesuchi taps into melancholy, joy, and saudade—a Portuguese term for the love that remains after someone has gone. Her dark, smoky dancefloor detonators brim with love, desire, machines, and danger, dreaming of raw club music indebted to rhythm.
Talia Vega León is co-director and co-curator of Radical Sounds Latin America, an online platform and festival based in Berlin that explores cutting-edge Latin American music being produced within Europe and beyond. Its aim is to create a continuous, open dialogue surrounding the topic of migration, by generating a space both online and offline for those who use music as a tool to question ideas of identity and belonging.
A Traversal Act. An Overt Reaction. A Potential Adversity. A Viscose Pattern. A Sequential Disfigurement. An Indiscernible Cut. An Abrupt Spasm. A Vehement Apparition. A Continuous Contraction. A Tongue between Teeth.
Laura Diaz is a Brazilian performance artist, best known for her work as part of five-piece act Teto Preto. She also runs queer-inclusive party Mamba Negra and Mamba Records in São Paolo, and is among the most politically vocal artists from the city’s LGBTQIA+ community.