Scenes of a Migrant Latin American Music Genre.

Written Assignments
Track1: Selena, “Amor Prohibido”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvfZ95ueOcQ
Related Reading:
1. Fernández L’Hoeste et al. Cumbia! Scenes of a Migrant Latin American Music Genre.
Chap. 4: “Rigo Tovar and the Transnational Grupero Boom”. pp. 105-118
2. Paredez. Selenidad: Selena, Latinos, and the Performance of Memory. Chap. 4:
“Becoming Latina, Becoming Selena”. pp. 126-154
Track2: Mike Laure y Sus Cometas, “039”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T82ddR6kn2A
Related Reading:
1. Pacini Hernández. Oye Como Va!: Hybridity and Identity in Latino Popular Music. Chap. 6: “From
Cumbia Colombiana to Cosmopolatina: Roots, Race, and Mestizaje”.
2. Crespo. “The Globalization of Cuban Music through Mexican Film”. In Musical
Cultures of Latin America. pp. 225-231
Overall, for the written assignments you will analyze track1 and track2. You will analyze each of them
and contrast them using both musical analysis and contextual analysis.
You must use 4 of the readings and 2 slides.
The final assignment is a research paper of 4 to 5 double-spaced pages + bibliography. The
paper should have 3 main sections: 1 for each of the chosen songs where you perform your musical
and contextual analysis, and an additional one where you will put the two tracks in dialogue. As
stated above, in the third section, you will contrast and compare the two tracks.
Musical analysis
Musical analysis does not equal to merely describing the song. Rather, you should use the
musical vocabulary and concepts we have been learning throughout the quarter. The starting point
of this analysis is critical listening. That is, listening to the song closely and unpacking its musical
elements. Possible features you can focus on include:
• Rhythm (syncopation, polyrhythm, tempo, etc.)
• Instrumentation (what instruments are being used, are they acoustic/electronic)
• Orchestration (how are these instruments interacting with each other?)
• Structure/form (does it have verses, choruses, how many? If instrumental, what’s thestructure?)
• Influences (do you identify a particular influence of specific genres/how is this
influence taking place?)
• Lyrics ([you may use a digital translator for this] what are they about, how to they
interact with the music/context) (note that focusing exclusively on the lyrics do not
constitute compelling musical analysis)
Context/issues
This course makes a continuous connection between the musical and the contextual. For
the final paper you will consider the relation of your chosen tracks to the time/place in which they
emerged. In other words, you will be talking not just about the songs/artists, but also about the
context in which this music is happening, keeping in mind that the musical is inextricably
connected with the where/when/who/how. Possible topics you can focus on include:
• Race
• Gender
• Nation/nationalism
• Ethnicity
• Transnationalism/border dynamics
• Class
• Migration
• Cosmopolitanism
• Music industry/distribution
Thinking about how the song/artist speaks about any of these or other issues is a good way to start
your analysis. You may complement (as opposed to completely base) your overall analysis with
video clips of the tracks of your choosing, provided these are included in the Additional Listening
list.Bibliography/sources
Aside the Additional Listening list, the Readings List on the syllabus constitute your main
sources. I advise skimming all the tracks and readings before settling on your topics to see what
works better/is more interesting to you. The Additional Listening list is designed to go with the
syllabus. For instance, if you chose one track from the “Colombia” section, some, or all the
readings assigned for the weeks we discussed Colombia will help you. I expect to see a close
reading of each of your chosen 4 chapters/articles on your final assignment, including quotes when
appropriate. These should help you provide context to the music and to advance your own analysis.
Aside the Reading List, you may use your lecture notes and class slides, always providing the
appropriate citation. Assigned Readings are also a good place to look for references regarding
writing style, vocabulary, approach, and methodology. Do not just read them for information, see
how the author is working with the materials, how is she/he building the narrative, and how is
she/he making their point.
No extra bibliography is required. However, students are encouraged to use other sources
if they feel compelled to. Academic sources (i.e. books from academic presses and journal articles)
are preferred. Other sources such as press articles, blogs, “comment” sections, etc., may be used
under your TA’s guidance. Due to the fact that all the lyrics are in Spanish, digital translators may
be used if you choose to work with the lyrics. Students may also approach a Spanish-speaking
classmate or drop by my office hours to revise (as opposed to do) a translation. The artists included
in the Additional Listening list are mentioned in the readings and/or lectures. You should be able
to get a basic idea of their background from these sources