Song Analysis
Solo Le Pido a Dios
by Mercedes Sosa
It
was not too long ago when the people of Latin America felt obscured of their voices
by their own governments. In the history of many of these countries including Argentina,
Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, military dictators literally prohibited artists
from expressing their views. Artists often challenged these governments but
also faced the consequences. One artist that stands beyond the rest is Mercedes
Sosa. Her folkloric songs were and continue to be the voice of oppressed people.
Her voice, passion and determination will never be forgotten and her songs are
simply a treasure that resonates among the majority of the people of South
America. A song that has touched the hearts of many is known as “Solo Le Pido a
Dios” (“I only ask God”). The current essay will provide an analysis of the significance
and the meaning of this song.
Mercedes Sosa
was a humble young woman when she had the opportunity to express her talent and
opinion through music. Often referred to
as “La Negra”, Mercedes was able to take her career worldwide as people began
to discover and understand her songs dealing with issues relevant to the time.
Perhaps the most important topics that Mercedes sung about were poverty,
injustice and corruption. For example, in Argentina, dictatorships prohibited
artists to express themselves; however, this did not stop Mercedes. She
continued to produce and sing her songs that led to her arrest in 1980. All of
Argentina was devastated because they had lost their voice and inspiration.
However, despite the dictatorship’s efforts, it was impossible to make people
forget her message. When the dictatorship collapsed, she was more than eager to
return and sing in her nation and for all of Latin America. The youth finally
had the opportunity to hear her music and give her praise for her contribution
to the democracy of Argentina. Mercedes went on to receive various awards
including three Grammys. She continued till her death to sing folkloric music and
talk about relevant issues in modern society.
There
are countless songs sung by Mercedes Sosa that have touched the hearts of
millions. Solo Le Pido a Dios is
translated to I Only Ask God, deals
with the distain that existed in terms of the war, pain and suffering felt by
the nation. The song has a very defined and repetitive rhythm with only a
guitar and steady beat of what seems like a crowd of people stomping or
clapping in unison. This simple arrangement serves the purpose to define the
people, these people of simple backgrounds, these people working together
towards a better life, these people who have united as one to achieve their
goals. Mercedes Sosa in this song has a very powerful, rich voice. Symbolically,
her voice is the voice of everyone, which is why her voice is so prominent and
raw. The very first phrase in the song is “I
only ask God”. God and the catholic church are such significant figures in
the lives of Latin Americans, so it has become somewhat overly used to say I
ask God for this or that, but there comes a time in peoples lives where they
sincerely pray to God and in this song, it is one of those sincere moments
where people put their faith and trust in God. It is important to note that it
is “only ask God”, in this context, it demonstrates the severity of what
society was facing. “ I only ask God” was one of those moments in life where
people sincerely plead to God for their lives.
During the
decades of 1970s and 1980s, Chile underwent the torture of the dictator Augusto
Pinochet. Argentina was also a victim of what some people considered to be a
fascist government. In Chile alone, there were over 3,000 people killed and
over 30,000 people tortured. In the song’s first verse, Mercedes touches on the
topic of pain and death. Witnesses of casualties were experienced so often by
these people that value of human life and the pains that are experienced were
diminished. It became a matter of praying to God to find the value of life and
not simply giving up, without having at least put up a fight. Mercedes Sosa is
really just expressing the lack of hope and willpower people had to continue
under the unfair regime. This song questions the audience of the time, whether
people were truly willing to give in so easily and let the hopes of freedom,
democracy and life slip away.
Perhaps
the most important metaphor in this is song is the “monster”. Monsters are
feared and dreaded, but throughout all of history, the myths of monsters have
always ended in terms of a hero killing the monster. This is what I believe the
song is conveying, that this monster which is the government, is torturing
people through threats, war, murders and absolute control. This monster is
abusing the innocence of the people making them cold hearted, indifferent to
death, dwindled in hope, belittled in faith, regretful of luck. However this
song is telling the people that not all hope can be lost, there are heroes
among them, they are stronger in numbers, they have more faith than ever, they
will not let themselves be crushed by this monster. The song gave people the
hope to look forward to the future, to become united and to fight for one
another.
There are many
websites dedicated to Mercedes Sosa in which hundreds of people write their
thoughts about her songs and lyrics. The majority of the comments are
expressing their gratitude for her bravery and the impact she has had on their
nation. I truly believe that Mercedes Sosa is an admirable woman. I think that
her simplistic songs and message is a topic that will never be forgotten. The
world today seems to be so modernized, yet there is still war, there are still dictators;
there is still hunger and poverty. Mercedes’s songs serve as a humbling message
for all the youth that is sometimes ungrateful. I really appreciate her music
because it helps me understand and even feel the pain that my ancestors had to
face and that I sometimes lose sight of.
Mercedes Sosa
was a powerful woman who gave society the strength they needed to demand democracy.
Her words were simple, concise and relatable. I truly believe that artists,
singers, and motivators have been able to give countries such as Chile and
Argentina the strength to overcome all the damage that was caused. Mercedes
Sosa was the voice for all those people, she conveyed the people’s thoughts,
and she did not fear the reproaches she received. Her voice was the voice for
millions of people worldwide. To this day, people remember Mercedes Sosa as a strong
nurturing woman, but most importantly she is remembered as a great hero.
References:
(1) Coqui Sosa
“Historia”. Mercedes Sosa <http://www.mercedessosa.com.ar/marcosmaster.htm>
Web.30 May 2012
(2) “Mercedes
Sosa”. Buenos Aires the Easy Way <http://www.easybuenosairescity.com/biografias/sosa1.htm>
3 Jul 2011 Web. 30 May 2012
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