Abstract
The project ‘Our histories in the music of the barrio’, carried out in Cali (Colombia) 2020–21, elucidates music’s role in helping participants act for more sustainable futures. It was a collaboration between Ian Middleton (Universidad de los Andes), Alexandra Patiño and Moisés Zamora (Foundation SIDOC), in which members of Tambores de Siloé conducted ethnographic audio-visual research on their neighbourhood, using their findings for musical creation. We consider four central tenets: (1) participant research and narrative production, (2) collective composition, (3) holism and (4) popular education. Positive outcomes cluster around four aspects of civic action that are catalysed by community music in mutually reinforcing loops: empathy, trust, collaboration and critical reflection. ‘Our histories’ emerges as a dialogic educational experience, promoting creative play and agency that interpolate problems on local, national and global scales. It drew on local know-how, catalyzing participants’ capacity to resist capitalist violence and strengthen communities.
Published Version
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