Mercedes Sosa's early travels through the Southern Cone: essentialism, rupture, and musical connections between Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile (1962–1976)

Abstract

In 1962, upon arriving in Montevideo from Buenos Aires, Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa began her international career. Through an analysis of her discourse, musical activity, and presence in the press of the time, this article explores the beginnings of her career, with special attention to her early travels in the Southern Cone and the musical connections between Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile between 1962 and 1976. During this period, the artist established herself as a central figure of the Nueva Canción Latinoamericana, before going into exile. From a transnational perspective and with a focus on the intersection of the categories of gender, race and class, it is argued that, in a context marked by nationalist discourses, social struggles and authoritarianism in Latin America, the concept of authenticity and the idea of “musical mother” that accompanied Mercedes Sosa highlighted both her connection with folkloric roots and her creative and authorial capacity, despite not being a composer. Thus, her career ―which for the first time achieved media recognition outside Argentina and connected diverse influences from the continent― articulated two fundamental tensions: the local versus the cosmopolitan and the essentialism versus the rupturist character of her musical proposal.