An exaltation of folkloric tradition and the poetic laments of an exile, these two statements sum of the life and music of Uruguayan singer-songwriter Alfredo Zitarrosa.

SONG LIST:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3sJj2CSpfrwwjfaYFFsP1z?si=78d74787905047aa

ALL RIGHTS AND CREDIT GO DIRECTLY TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

At times I feel like I am loosing my sanity, like I can’t hold it together anymore, after all we can cannot normalize the times we are living through and what we are witnessing, this takes a massive toll on our minds and emotions and spirits. 

One of the things holding me together through all of this has been music. Especially revolutionary song, of all kinds. And that of course has me thinking about the power of revolutionary song and art of all kinds, the commercial music industry and how it tries to co-opt this expression of the people and the trap of “representation” in media and politics. This is what I want to talk about today. 

A Luis Emilio Recabarren - Inti Illimani

nuestro mensaje - Illapu

El Necio - Silvio Rodriguez

solo digo compañeros - Karaxú

El Pueblo Unido - Ventiscka

ALL RIGHTS AND CREDIT GO DIRECTLY TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

• ​I have been extremely inconsistent here lately. And that is going to change very soon. I am very busy with a lot of other things I have going on, it’s really one thing in particular. But by early July I will definitely be back to consistent, weekly podcasts. Anyway, I didn't want to go another week without at least releasing something. I want to tell you about my trip to Puerto Rico recently, and share what I experienced, but I need more time for that. I want to do the experience justice with the show I’m going to do. This week will be a shorter episode, different than usual. I want to talk about the news, Gaza, this ceasefire that was passed by the security council, and also the current political atmosphere, the election, just share my thoughts about all this. 

Songs

Ciencia Politica - Frankie Dante

El Derecho de Vivir en Paz - Musicx de Chile

Estadio Chile - Pete Seeger

Preguntas por Puerto Montt - Víctor Jara

Love me, I'm a liberal - Phil Ochs

The Urgent Call of Palestine - Zeinab Shaath

Links:

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iron-bars-electric-shocks-dogs-and-cigarette-burns-how-palestinians-are-tortured-israeli-detention 

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-systematic-sexual-abuse-torture 

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sexual-abuse-and-beatings-palestinian-mothers-ordeal-israeli-custody 

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-lawmakers-hague-invasion-act-what-is-it 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C74-PdGP57s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

ALL RIGHTS AND CREDIT GO DIRECTLY TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

A journey into the life and music of Chilean nueva canción artist, journalist, novelist, playwright and poet Patricio Manns.

Víctor’s music reflects many things…a love for humanity, his own life experiences and the lives of regular people, the poor, the farmers, the laborers and artists that are often overlooked and forgotten. The people who make the country run, the people most exploited and forgotten among us. Víctor immortalized not only the archetype of the farmer, the laborer, the peasant but he also immortalized many individuals. Roberto Ahumada, Miguel Ángel Aguilera, Angelita Huenuman, the people senselessly killed in Puerto Montt in 1968 simply murdered for occupying the land of a rich family in southern Chile or Herminda, the baby killed where a Santiago poblacion named after her was built. These names would sadly be lost to time if it were not for Víctor’s songs which encourage us to discover who the real people were behind his lyrics.

• ​Manifiesto 
• ​La luna siempre es muy linda 
• ​Preguntas por puerto Montt 
• ​Te recuerdo Amanda 
• ​Angelita Huenuman
• ​Cancion de cuna para un niño vago
• ​El lazo
• ​Plegaria a un labrador 
• ​Con el alma llena de banderas 
• ​Ni chicha ni limoná
• ​Herminda de la Victoria 
• ​El arado 
• ​Cuando voy al trabajo
• ​Vientos de pueblo 
• ​Que lindo es ser voluntario 
• ​El derecho de vivir en paz 

• ALL RIGHTS AND CREDIT GO DIRECTLY TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS.
• NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

I had a full circle moment recently. It was about this time last year, a cloudy day, drizzling.  I was wearing a wool sweater too, not the same one, but similar. I was moody and sad, both days. Last year, that day, I first listened to “Manifesto”, Victor Jara and I will say again, it changed my life. This past year has changed me as a person, and that moment when I first heard that beautiful voice and that guitar, I could feel the change. It was a song that I felt I had heard my entire life, yet a song I had never heard before. 

This year, I finally after having known about him for months, actually I first heard listened to Phil Ochs for the first time. And I had a similar reaction to “I ain’t marching no more”. I was struck by more than Ochs’ voice or the lyrics of the song, I was struck by poignant, relevant and sincere his music was. As I listened to more of his music, I was amazed at just how applicable they are to everything happening now, from US militarism, foreign policy, racism, western liberalism and revolution, all things Ochs sang about. I knew it was significant for me to come upon Ochs’ music at the time I did. I almost regretted that I hadn’t found his music just a tiny bit sooner, so I could have played his “Love me, I’m a liberal” on my recent show about Western liberalism.Today we will talk about Phil Ochs, his music, how it so perfectly talks about what is happening today and much more.

Songs:

What’s That I Hear 

Spanish lament 

Remember me 

Talking Vietnam blues 

Talking Cuban crisis

Too many martyrs

The thresher

I ain’t marching anymore 

Draft dodger rag 

Talking Birmingham Jam 

Here’s to the state of Mississippi 

There but for fortune 

I’m going to say it now 

Ringing of revolution 

Santo Domingo

Love me. Im a liberal 

Canons of Christianity. 

The war is over

Changes 

When I’m Gone 

ALL RIGHTS AND CREDIT GO DIRECTLY TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

In September of 1970 rightwing Chilean media baron Agustín Edwards Eastman traveled to Washington DC to meet with CIA director Richard Helms, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and President Richard Nixon. They discussed plans to overthrow the then newly elected government of Salvador Allende.

This was just one part of the sinister role that Chile's wealthiest and most powerful media baron played in the events of the 11 September 1973.

Songs:

Plegaria a un labrador - Víctor Jara, Quilapayún

Con el alma llena de banderas - Quilapayún

Encuentro con la vida - Illapu

ALL RIGHTS AND CREDIT GO DIRECTLY TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

I was perusing the internet the other day when I came across the music of Spanish pop sensation Niño Bravo and his song “Un Beso y Una Flor” and I absolutely loved his voice and the style of the song, that dramatic 1970’s baroque pop sound. I of course looked him up and found out that one of his most famous songs, “Libre”, was played while political detainees and political prisoners in Chile were tortured by Pinochet’s regime. I’ll let that sink in for a moment.  I was immediately horrified especially when I found out that the song was originally written against Franco’s regime in Spain. So I realized that this song written against fascism was actually hijacked by it. It disturbed me, especially when I actually listened to the song, there was such a crazy contradiction there, this passionate song about freedom and the idea that people were tortured to the sound of it. That really messed with my head. Because I liked the sound of the song, yet I was revolted by the idea of it being used as a fascist anthem and the soundtrack of torture. Naturally this set up a wild contradiction inside of me.  So naturally I wrote a story and now I'm reading it for you!

I’ve been running into never ending problems with the western liberals recently, especially about the genocide in Gaza. This election cycle we are being presented with a supposedly democratic choice which is really no choice at all; between a racist, orange menace and maniac, or a genocide enabling geriatric psychopath. And the establishment is calling on us to chose between these two revolting individuals. Meanwhile the western liberals are telling us that we must vote for Biden, the genocide enabler and supporter. I want to unpack all this here today.

The horror in Gaza continues, people are killed by bombs, they are starved to death and massacred as they try to get flour to feed their families. In this time, sometimes we need poetry.

So we take a breath and read some poetry from one of the greatest to ever give us a look inside of the soul and mind of a poet; Pablo Neruda. There are so many lessons to be taken from his poems, so many feelings to be shared and an immense amount of insight! 

Chris Hedges' article about Aaron Bushnell: https://open.substack.com/pub/chrishedges/p/aaron-bushnells-divine-violence?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Poems:

The day will come

Standard Oil Co.

United Fruit Co.

Do Not Ask Me

Ode to the atom

I will return

I call upon you

Point

The Victorious People

Songs:

Sobreviviendo - Illapu

Alcare el crit - Guillamino, Manuel Garcia