Spanish through Music

Course Description

Summary

This course will provide insight into the music of Spanish speakers in Latin America and the United States, within its cultural and geographical contexts, through analysis of song lyrics, audio recordings, videos and feature films. We will familiarize ourselves with the styles and social functions of bolero, tango, milonga, ranchero, rumba, salsa, pop, merengue, bachata, huayno, and samba, inter alia, in a bid to move beyond any essentialist associations. Students will present and debate their own perspectives, both in conversation and in writing, thus developing analytical and linguistic skills, and will undertake a short research project. The course should, almost osmotically, provide support for future studies across several fields. The usual array of media will be included. Conducted in Spanish. Low- to mid-intermediate level.