Explaining History Violeta Parra: Chile’s Folk Revolutionary, Cold-War Exile & Mother of Nueva Canción
***PLEASE LISTEN TO THE END***
Chilean folk icon Violeta Parra (1917-1967) was far more than the singer of “Gracias a la Vida.” In this episode, Erica Verba—Director of Latin American Studies at Cal State LA—reveals how Parra transformed from teenage street-busker and RCA-Victor recording artist into the archivist, painter and political catalyst who ignited Latin America’s Nueva Canción movement.
We trace her itinerant childhood with the “Circo Pobre,” her reinvention as a self-taught ethnomusicologist, and her two eye-opening trips behind the Iron Curtain as a delegate to Soviet-sponsored youth festivals. Along the way we explore why folk revivals exploded across the globe in the 1950s-60s, how Cold-War cultural diplomacy shaped her career, and what her legacy means for today’s Los Angeles—where immigrant communities now confront escalating ICE raids and militarised parks.
Erica’s new book,
*****STOP PRESS*****
I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:
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