Forging a Latin American Identity in 1960s Argentine Popular Culture
Conference on Latin American History 33
Session Abstract
Forging a Latin American Identity in 1960’s Argentine Popular Culture.
Session Abstract
During the decade of 1960, many Argentines began to identify themselves as Latin Americans as well as Argentines. This identity turn entailed shedding Eurocentric notions of Argentine exceptionalism while embracing the Latin America-wide liberation movement spearheaded by the Cuban Revolution. It also typically involved adopting the cultural manifestations of Latin America’s indigenous, mestizo and black poor. In this ideal form, popular Latin Americanist discourse circulated primarily among educated young leftists. However, other groups not ostensibly related to radicalized youth, such as pop singers and football fans, also developed a common identity in dialog with Latin America as a whole. This panel brings together a group of cultural historians who, from different perspectives, have been analyzing the phenomenon of the 1960s Argentine projection to Latin America. Oscar Chamosa’s paper looks at how the Argentine folksong movement known as Nuevo Cancionero instilled solidarity with Latin American revolutionary movements and promoted a stronger Latin American identity among fellow Argentines. Similarly, Valeria Manzano examines how, in the early 1960s, a number of Argentine and Mexican countercultural groups worked together to raise Inter-American consciousness, and promoting art manifestations reflecting the principles of ‘liberation’ and ‘total revolution.” Matt Karush looks into a different genre, the Latin pop song, which aimed at audiences generally larger and less politically motivated than the public of protest folksong and countercultural art. Here Argentine artists such as Sandro also turned to Latin America for inspiration while expanded their market to encompass the entire region. Finally, Rwany Sibaja examines the world of Argentine sport journalists, who, in the 1960s were forced to recognize the superiority of Brazilian soccer, prompting the redefinition of Argentine fútbol as part of a wider South American collective. In different but interconnected ways, these papers show that an important identity turn was taking place during the 1960s. Argentine folksingers, artists, entertainers and sport journalist were, for the first time, actively incorporating Latin American themes and styles in their production while projecting their own view of Latin America both in their home country and in Latin America as a whole.