by Aster Fernandez (’24)

The end of September and beginning of October is an important time, both celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as Indigenous People’s Day. It is the perfect time to celebrate Indigenous culture, including art, music, and literature. To honor the native communities in the Americas, I’d like to highlight Latinx musicians of indigenous descent, who choose to celebrate their culture in this medium. Music is a big part of their culture, providing a space to tell their stories, a way for self-discovery, and a way to fight for their visibility and their rights. 

From Uruguay, Pobvio founded a club music label in 2014 that celebrates his Charrua heritage. The label is focused on paying tribute to their culture and their ancestors within a more modern environment, that being club music. He often adds in traditional instruments and drum beats, namely pampas drum beats and siku panpipe melodies. His most famous remix of “Tambor Espada” includes music from the Chaco province of northern Argentina. His blend of modern music with Charrua music helps celebrate his culture and bring more visibility to it.

Renata Flores is an Ayacucho singer from Peru, who blends traditional music with hip-hop. She started out by recording a cover of “House of the Rising Sun” but with a special twist: she had translated the song into Quechua with help of her grandmother. The majority of her songs are in Quechua, the most-spoken indigenous language in the Americas. However, the language still carries a lot of stigma with it, Flores herself being stigmatized as a child for speaking what was considered a “peasant” language. She has recently released a song “Raima” which celebrates Peru’s Independence day. Another impactful song is “Tijera” which tackles the problem of femicide that is rampant in Peru nowadays. Her songs blend hip-hop, trap, beats, and traditional Andean music. She uses the music as a way to not reconnect with celebrating her culture, but also address important issues in society. 

Lido Pimienta from Colombia is a pop-singer and songwriter of Wayuu descent based in Canada. The Wayuu are native to a desert region in northern Colombia, and have often faced many struggles. Her 2016 album, La Papessa, won the Polaris Music Prize. In her music, she implements a blend of synthpop and electronic music with more traditional afro-caribbean and indigenous music styles. Her music often tackles the struggles that her community has faced, specifically that of water access. She has not only visited La Guajira to reconnect with her culture, but has also collaborated with Vallenato musicians and an indigenous choir. In Canada, she also collaborates with artists of indigenous descent, including hip-hop artists A Tribe Called Red, and Anishinaabe musician Melody Mckiver. Her most recent album is Miss Colombia, a celebration of Colombian culture and heritage which is a worthy listen.

Portavoz and Luanko are two Chilean rappers who combine rap with sounds from their Mapuche heritage. Their main goal through their music is to keep Mapuche culture alive by offering younger generations music that relates to their experiences but still uplifts them. Their song tackles important issues, such as the struggles to defend their land, and to keep their culture alive. Together, the rap duo released their first song “Witrapaiñ” meaning “We’re On Our Feet”, which includes verses in both Spanish and Mapudungun.

Music is an important way that Indigenous people can share and celebrate their culture. It can share their stories, and bring light to the problems that need to be faced. To celebrate Indigenous People’s Day and Hispanic Heritage Month, I urge readers to give these artists a listen.