Every day for the past seven weeks, people have hit the streets all over Chile to protest structural inequality and oppression.
Music and iconic songs are an integral part of rallies, marches and barricades, but the nationwide movement has also inspired new songs by contemporary Chilean artists from diverse genres.
Last week, Toward Freedom shared six songs, but there are too many to fit into a single post. Here are seven more tracks from the past seven weeks of protests and repression.
(Warning: some videos contain graphic images of police brutality.)
1. Regalé mis ojos – Nano Stern
“I sing to report that ‘Never Again’ wasn’t true,” singer-songwriter Nano Stern sings in this heartbreaking composition dedicated to Gustavo Gatica, a student protester blinded in both eyes by police projectiles.
2. La Caravana – Kuervos del Sur
“The caravan isn’t slowing down. It fills the whole Alameda [boulevard]. The barricade continued, even if there’s a curfew,” alternative rock group Kuervos del Sur sings in this powerful ode to protests.
3. Paco Vampiro – Alex Anwandter
Paco is widely used derogatory slang for a police officer from the Carabineros force that has been violently cracking down on protests. “The blood that you spill is your child and your mom,” sings Alex Anwandter.
4. Plata Ta Tá – Mon Laferte & Guaynaa
“We are not afraid,” entones Mon Laferte. On the red carpet at the Latin Grammys last month, she exposed her breasts to draw attention to a message written on her chest: “In Chile, they torture, rape, kill.”
5. Despierto – Movimiento Original
“For those who struggled in the past, this flame is lit,” sings Movimiento Original, a hip hop group that blends various genres, including rap and reggae.
6. Esto pasa en Chile – Doble Cero
“Chile is the private corporation of a select few, built on [others’] efforts, blood and tears,” skillful lyricist Doble Cero raps in this percipient track.
7. Por la rima o la razón – various artists
“Sebastián Piñera, the people demand your resignation.” More than a dozen artists worked together to produce this extended track.