SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/842100
3 4 SXS W O R L D | M A R C H 2 0 1 7 M U S I C | SXSW.COM FROM PAST TO PRESENT: Music & Protest Back in the Spotlight By claudia alarcOn The show is presented by Voto Latino, a civic media organization seeking to empower Latinos and build a more inclusive democracy and whose board of directors includes Rosario Dawson and Wilmer Valderrama. "The idea behind this concert," says Voto Latino COO Jessica Reeves, "is to bring attention to the multitude of issues faced by our community, especially our immigrant brothers and sisters. As immigrants and allies, we are challenged each day to stand strong in our ideals of compassion and unity. Voto Latino believes that music and culture are powerful avenues to do so." Residente (René Pérez Joglar) spent more than a decade as the voice of Calle 13, a duo whose music combined elements from reg- gaeton, hip-hop, salsa, rock, klezmer and Native American chants, with lyrics that offered sociopolitical commentary and solidarity with the underclass. After having his DNA tested, Residente decided to make music guided by the results, traveling the world to record collaborations with Tuareg guitarist Bombino, Chinese opera musi- cians, a Serbian brass band and Dagomba tribal singers in Ghana. Residente's soon-to-be-released first solo album will open with Lin- Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, rapping in Spanish and English. It turns out, as Residente discovered, that Miranda and he are third cousins. A documentary of his journey, called Residente, world premiered at SXSW earlier this week. Formed in 1995, with the Zapatista uprising as a backdrop that inspired members to take a political stand, Panteón Rococó is Mexico's most emblematic ska-fusion group. The nine-piece band is known for an energetic sound that combines ska, punk, rock, reggae, mariachi and salsa, and famously raucous live performances. "Art is a limitless medium for expression," says sax player Missael Oseguera. "For us, it is important to reflect our mood, experiences and opinion in our music, we need to be responsible because many people listen to us, so we can amplify our point of view and ideas that we share with the audience." According to Oseguera, the band is excited to participate "because every stage that we can step on is important. Each show brings dif- ferent people, some possibly for their first Panteón performance and others who are returning as fans. This is why we started performing, to step on as many stages as possible and leave our footprints." The "All Latino Resist Concert" presented by Voto Latino, is today (Thursday, March 16) at the SXSW Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake (Riverside Dr & S 1st St). Residente will screen today at 11am at ZACH Theatre (1510 Toomey Rd). The "Contrabanned: #MUSICUNITES @ SXSW" show featuring artists from the seven countries affected by the January travel ban, is tomorrow night at the Palm Door on Sixth Patio (508 E 6th St). See schedule.sxsw.com for all details. P olitically-charged lyrics and social statements are nothing new in the music world. Protest songs have been part of the artistic landscape for generations, with notable examples ranging from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Clash and Rage Against the Machine. In Latin America, the Nueva Canción Chilena (New Chilean Song) movement spawned Inti-Illimani, a group that used tradi- tional South American rhythms in anthem-like songs that helped lift Salvador Allende and his left-leaning Unidad Popular party to the head of Chile's government in 1970. Allende's government fell on September 11, 1973, during a CIA-backed coup that led to Augusto Pinochet's 17-year military dictatorship and the deaths and disap- pearances of thousands, including activist and folk singer Victor Jara. Inti-Illimani's most notable composition, "El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido (The People United Will Never Be Defeated)— played for the first time in November 1973 during a show in Florence, Italy—has become a crowd-rising chant the world over. In the political climate of today, and specifically in reaction to Donald Trump's election, musicians are again raising their voices, using art as a platform to express discontent. 30 Days 30 Songs, an independent website showcasing anti-Trump songs from artists across the country, has promised to assemble a playlist of 1,000 songs "to combat apathy, entertain the citizenry, and provide a soundtrack to resistance, over the next four years." In October, during a three-day stand in Mexico City, including a free show at the Zócalo that attracted 300,000 fans, Roger Waters criticized president Enrique Peña Nieto, condemned the still-unre- solved disappearance of 43 college students from Guerrero state, and projected images of Trump as a backdrop to a performance of Pink Floyd's "Pigs." Waters subsequently posted the video of the perfor- mance on Inauguration Day in January. SXSW has often welcomed artists who voice their political and social discontent, many of them with Latino roots. Las Cafeteras, a Los Angeles-based multicultural ensemble, wowed audiences at SXSW 2013 with its mishmash of son jarocho, Afro-Mexican rhythms and other Latin sounds with punk and hip-hop. "All of the group's members come from immigrant and/or native families," says band member Denise Carlos. "And our family stories are not that different from migrant families throughout the world. Our art and poetry have always been about sharing the hidden narratives of Los Angeles; stories of survival and celebration." Tomorrow, a few Latin bands will share their resistance during a free showcase at the SXSW Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake. SXAméricas has assembled an all-star lineup that includes Puerto Rican rapper Residente, Mexico City's ska outfit Panteón Rococó, and veteran SXSW faves, Ozomatli. Panteon Rococo