Voces Del Pueblo: Countercultural Transitions in Uruguayan Protest Music, 1960-1990

This thesis examines the evolution of Uruguayan protest music from 1960 to 1990 in three phases. The first is Uruguay's version of the "Nueva Cancion Movement", where Latin American folk musicians protested against the neo-colonial power structures of their societies. Uruguayan artists, inspired by the Cuban Revolution and formed in the context of Argentine cultural imperialism, emerged as a distinct voice in the region and created a new facet of local cultural identity. The second phase, known as "Canto Popular," evolved this movement during Uruguay's military dictatorship (1973-85), which suppressed the population through censorship, imprisonment, and forced exile. The final phase encompasses the rise of transnational punk rock and the disillusioned artists who articulated the "anti-politics" of the 1980s. Drawing on primary documents, this work builds on previous analyses and focuses on the countercultural content of Uruguayan music. I argue that transitions in popular music mirror political transformation and changing attitudes in these understudied movements. Though artists in all periods claimed to be the voice of their people, the scope of representation narrowed over time as political instability increased.