Making Music and Politics in Puerto Rico: Performative Praxis and Subjectivation in Musical Activism

Abstract

Abstract. Musicians have played important roles in social movements and different forms of political action. As a social, cultural, and psychological phenomenon, the relationships between music, musicians, and politics are embedded in singular processes that warrant studying how musicians engage in political actions and make sense of their musical performances and roles in activism. In this article I describe and analyze the experience of six musicians related to their performances supporting activists and social movements. I conducted six semi-structured interviews through phone calls and video conferencing and analyzed the transcripts by focusing on the forms of subjectivations they described when remembering their interactions with activists and organizers. My main focus is how these musicians used music to support protests, fostered a sense of collective identity, and coordinated their music with activists and organizers.