Protesting to the Beat: music and revolution in Latin America
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- Start Date: 13 Dec 2025End Date: 13 Dec 2025Sat (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30In PersonFull fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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What is the course about?
This course examines theoretical and practical approaches to the role of sound in Latin America’s struggles. We will examine how experiences of resistance to structures of power can take sonic forms in the region. We will critically engage with themes such as race, class, gender, sexuality, queerness, state, economy, colonialism, and indigeneity to challenge traditional conceptualizations of art and sound. The course will give students the analytical tools to understand sound and music as multilevel forms of expression that contest power in historically bound and culturally specific settings. We will focus on how sound is entangled with performance, literature, and politics.
What will we cover?
We will cover some of the key concepts associated with sound from a social perspective. Using different types of music and sound as an example, we will explore the relationships between:
- Sound and colonialism
- Sound and neoliberalism/capitalism
- Sound & feminism.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand sound and some of its key related concepts (noise, silence, voice, etc.) from a social perspective.
- Reflect on the role of music in struggles against power structures and strengthening community amidst oppressive regimes.
- Apply the concepts connected to sound to analyse social movements in Latin America
- Explore the connections between music, sound and politics
- Be familiar with a wide range of examples of music and performances that use sound as a testimony and means of expression.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable both for newcomers to the subject and for those who have some background knowledge. You will need a good grasp of English to keep up with the course. An ability and willingness to explore relevant shared resources will increase what you get out of the course.
However, as with most of our history, politics and current affairs courses, an open mind and a respectful willingness to listen to and think about views with which you do not always agree are more important than specific levels of skills.
Given the sensitive nature of some of the topics the course will explore, we also expect everyone to engage group and class discussions with respect and the willingness to learn from others.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This module will be highly interactive, prioritizing group discussions and student participation, encouraging them to connect with their prior knowledge. A wide range of resources will be used, such as music videos, photography, documentaries, relevant text extracts, and similar materials.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No additional costs, but you may wish to bring a notepad and pen or digital equivalent for note taking.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
HPC271 Get ready for the revolution! Key Latin American political thinkers
HPC272 Silent segregation in the city: race and class in Colombia and Mexivo.
Pilar Villanueva-Martinez is a Ph.D. Candidate in Latin American Cultural Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. With over eight years of experience in education, Pilar has become a specialist in teaching courses on Latin American cultures, history, social movements, music, and literature. In addition, she has taught Spanish courses catering to beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners at esteemed institutions like Bucknell University and the University of Texas at Austin. Moreover, she has extended her expertise to various community-engaged organizations, including the Biblioteca del Bicentenario and Casa Cultural el Chontaduro in Colombia. She is also the founder and editor of the Latin American magazine Zánganos, dedicated to disseminating arts, cultures, and activism from the region.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.