Music and “clandestinidad” During the Time of the Chilean Dictatorship: Repression and the Circulation of Music of Resistance and Clandestine Cassettes

Abstract

This is a study about the relationship between music and "clandestinidad" during the time of the most recentdictatorship in Chile. This topic is explored in three dissimilar areas, which converge toward the consideration of the ways in wich the music representing the resistance to the dictatorial system developed in this particular historicalsituation. First of all, the conflicting relationship between the state apparatus and the opposition is discussed, witha special emphasis upon repression and censorship of the musics of resistance from a standpoint emphasizing theexperiencing of prohibition and persecution. Thus, an interpretation of the clandestine repressive actions is putforward. Secondly, the specific dynamics of transiting between what is private and what is public is examined,particularly as it relates to the heterogeneous degrees of exposure and hiding of the members of resistance. Finally, theproduction of clandestine recordings containing material of a clear militant commitment is discussed. The key roleof the cassette production is underlined, as the copy and circulation of cassettes became a cultural stronghold ofresistance. Each area of this tripartite model presents an inner coherence of its own. Nevertheless the overallconsideration of these thee areas serves as the basis of a first all encompassing view of the complex relationshipbetween music and "clandestinidad" during the time of dictatorship.