The Gathering of the Protest Songs: Cuba, Thirdworldism, and the Birth of the Protest Song Movement (1967–1970)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the efforts of the Cuban government to shape the content of political songs through its cultural institution, Casa de las Américas. Influenced by the spirit of the Tricontinental Conference (1966), Casa de las Américas organized in 1967 “El Encuentro de la Canción Protesta,” a global gathering in Cuba with musicians from Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and even the United States. This event aimed to push the musicians who attended the Encuentro to define “what a protest song was” and “what was the political potential of music.” Following this international gathering, they aimed to create a playlist, a standardized set of songs that were exchanged, learned, and translated across a variety of languages yet which retained their original/vernacular sonorities. The event resulted in the configuration of an alternative left-wing global music market and the creation of a transnational network of musicians that aimed to address music as a tool to make the revolution.