Music and Culture Paper

Cristal Meza

Knapp

English 1A

April 16,2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XRVYLAllCI


Music and Culture

Music is a form in how artists express themselves and the audience are the ones who relate to the songs. Many people also use it as a way to relax when they are stressed. "Music like many other things is a pattern of learned behavior common to the people of a culture- Alan Lomax. Music is helpful for artists to get their message across to their audience in a creative way. Fans always listen to music that they can relate to by the history of the culture or the lyrics. The article From Zoo Suits to Hip Hop: Toward a Relational Chicana/o Studies by Luiz Alvarez explains how music has a lot of influence in how society reacts.

Ricardo Arjona is a Guatemalan artist and he is a Latin Grammy Award winning-singer songwriter whose music varies from ballads to pop rock. Arjona is a poetic Artist, he knows how to get his message across whether it is for political or love reasons. Ricardo Arjona ft. Intocable depicted a song Mojado that described the difficulties that a Mexican person has go through when they come to the U.S. as an illegal alien. Mojado is a Mexican-American slur for "wetback" or illegal immigrant. This slur was adopted by americans because there was an Operation Wetback in 1954 when Mexicans were illegal aliens were being seized and even their American babies in some cases.

The song Mojado starts by describing how this man wants to go to the U.S. to become the man he has longed to be, he sees it as a way to better himself economically. Then explains how an illegal alien feels like they do not belong in either place; Mexico or the U.S. because he/she is not living in Mexico and has no papers in the U.S. This is very frustrating because besides having to adapt to a new lifestyle he has to leave his family behind so he can provide a better life for them. The song also explains how there is a  huge misconception that many people assume how all undocumented Mexicans are criminals when in fact most of them go to the U.S. want to make themselves better. It also goes on to explain how the undocumented person "carries the weight that he wouldn't have to if he was legal". Being undocumented has turned them into fugitives and he questions why he has to prove he is not from another planet?

This song was very helpful in demonstrating to the audience the opinion of a Mexican man who has gone through the difficulties of being an immigrant and having to withstand all the obstacles that the privileged would have no idea of. In a poetic manner, Arjona performed and described the reality of being undocumented and how people do not come to the U.S. with the intention of harming others but only want to find a prosperous future like anybody else would want for their family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDAjXoWuibI