Songs of the Times - Antipatriarca

While this is a music blog and I don't feel competent enough to write about politics in depth, sometimes, being a citizen means you have to express yourself. I'll try to keep it focused on music as I usually do, but I have a feeling there may be more of a creep in of social and political issues in here. I'm going to try to post on songs that fit specific issues or moments that come up, so I can relate it back. Here's my first attempt at a song of the times.

Like most sane individuals with a knowledge of history and an ounce of compassion, I have been freaked the fuck out since November. This past weekend it all came to a head when the Alternative President was sworn in before a crowd of hundreds and he hasn't disappointed, signing a barrage of those executive orders Republicans were hysterical about when the supposed evil tyrant monarch Obama signed a few. And that's fine, it's his job. But already women's reproductive rights, health care and the fucking planet are in jeopardy. None the less, this weekend also gave us history with the largest protest ever in the US, and possibly the world. Millions of people marched all over the world lead by and in support of rights for women and all people, really at Women's Marches on all 7 continents. Seeing those crowds, especially from people I actually know that were out there in their respective cities, was hugely encouraging and inspiring to say the least.

There are many songs I could pick from to mark this moment, this movement. Many of them could be from this same artist, but how could it not be "Antipatriarca" by Ana Tijoux?

I could go into details about why this song is perfect, but I think it all speaks for itself with the most relevant verse to the march and the current need for this movement:

"Yo puedo ser jefa de hogar, empleada o intelectual

Yo puedo ser protagonista de nuestra historia y la que agita

La gente la comunidad, la que despierta la vecindad

La que organiza la economía de su casa de su familia"

"I can be head of the household, worker, or intellectual

I can be the protagonist of our story and she who incites

The people, the community, she who wakes up the neighborhood

She who organizes the economy of her house, of her family."

Anti-patriarchy means many things. On the simplest level it's about the liberation of literal women from literal, physical oppression, but that's only the most basic level. It's also about the symbolic oppression that systems designed based on narrow gender roles have entrenched in most, if not all, world cultures. And, ultimately, because of that, it's not just about literal females, but rather the female perspective - the feminine aspect of everyone.

When Prince died, I changed my profile pictures on social media to his Love Symbol which merges male and female. I have purposely not changed it and have no intention of doing so. It's a reminder that, as Prince sang, we are all 50/50 girl. Anti-patriarchy is about accepting that and empowering the female side of ourselves in everything we do. This song is a celebration of the first level of that acceptance and liberation and letting the feminine lead us. That it's also by a Chilean artist who always sings about the oppressed, anti-colonialism and more so-called revolutionary topics. only adds to the mix. It's the perfect song to highlight the march this weekend and I look forward to a revolution that is centered around this idea. It's not their fight, it's our fight. All of us, even if you disagree with it, will benefit from it.