Evan Amend | 2026 I.S. Symposium
Name: Evan Amend
Title: When Music Resists: Nueva Canci贸n Chilena and the Voice of Democracy
Majors: Political Science; Spanish
惭颈苍辞谤:听Music
Advisors: Michele Leiby; Brian Cope
My project examines how music can shape political beliefs and public action. Using Chile as a case study, it explores how the folk-based Nueva Canci贸n Chilena movement of the 1960s and 1970s used music to spread political messages and oppose authoritarian rule. I analyze how songs like “Canci贸n de Muerte y Esperanza por V铆ctor Jara” by Osvaldo Rodr铆guez and “El Derecho de Vivir en Paz” by V铆ctor Jara have been used both during and after Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973-1990) to express public demands for democracy and political change. These songs did not disappear after the dictatorship ended; they have reemerged in modern protests, including the 2019 Estallido Social in Chile (Social Outburst). By examining the lyrics and themes of these songs and tracing their continued use over time, I argue that they help promote democratic values and sustain anti-authoritarian sentiment. More broadly, this project shows how cultural tools like music can influence political attitudes long after a dictatorship ends. Since this study draws on both political science and the humanities, it offers a broader perspective on how art and politics interact. It also opens the door for future research, such as studying audience responses through surveys or interviews, or comparing similar musical movements in other countries.
Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.
