Mercedes Sosa ... wow.

I've often said I never really declared myself a feminist until I came to this country. In Latin America izquierdismo has always been defined in terms of your political commitment to either socialism or communism. Even in Puerto Rico we would never describe the pro-commonwealth party (which it's equivalency in the Democratic Party) as being of "the left". The socialist and independence parties were the Left in our country and the closer you were in your political tendencies to communism, the most likely you were in circles that adored Mercedes Sosa.

Mercedes was an unrepentant communist who had to flee Argentina during the years of the dictatorships that brought infamy to the country with its laundry list of Desaparecidos. As a Tucumana, she was a powerful voice for South American First Peoples. And In an odd way La Negra tucumana was cultural, political and social counterpoint to the other Negra I'd listen to for inspiration, Celia Cruz.

Just as Celia, Mercedes Sosa lived life at it's fullest, never backed down from what she believed it. She had an integrity to her ideals and values that was absolutely fierce. When I think of "Wise Latinas", Mercedes Sosa is right up there on my top ten.

La Maza which is the song she is singing here with Shakira, was a fixture of her repertoire and one she made popular with Sylvio Rodriguez (another fixture of my youth). The song is about the meaning of engagement: What good is it to live if you had no reason for it?

What's beautiful about this song is how engagement is define: "If I didn't believe in" all the things she outlines, she wouldn't have just a reason to live but the foundation, La Maza, to lead a life worth living. She would be a blob of meat and tendons; a tool for showing off with nothing worth seeing behind it; a supporter of idols in decline (awesome reference to Nietzsche's "Twilight of the Idols").

I wish I had the time to translate it right now, but I'll leave you with the beat, the heart and the soul of Mercedes Sosa.

LA MAZA

Si no creyera en la locura
de la garganta del cirzonte
si no creyera que en el monte
se esconde el trino y la pavura.

Si no creyera en la balanza
en la razon del equilibrio
si no creyera en el delirio
si no creyera en la esperanza.

Si no creyera en lo que agencio
si no creyera en mi camino
si no creyera en mi sonido
si no creyera en mi silencio.

Que cosa fuera
Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
un amacijo hecho de cuerdas y tendones
un revoltijo de carne con madera
un instrumento sin mejores resplandores
que lucecitas montadas para escena
que cosa fuera -corazon- que cosa fuera
que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
un testaferro del traidor de los aplausos
un servidor de pasado en copa nueva
un eternizador de dioses del ocaso
jubilo hervido con trapo y lentejuela
que cosa fuera -corazon- que cosa fuera
que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
que cosa fuera -corazon- que cosa fuera
que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera.

Si no creyera en lo mas duro
si no creyera en el deseo
si no creyera en lo que creo
si no ceyera en algo puro.

Si no creyera en cada herida
si no creyera en la que ronde
si no creyera en lo que esconde
hacerse hermano de la vida.

Si no creyera en quien me escucha
si no creeyera en lo que duele
si no creyera en lo que queda
si no creyera en lo que lucha.

Que cosa fuera...

###

PS: I always forget Mercedes was famously referred to as "La Negra" --which is my nickname from when I was a child.