Lecture (LEC)

• IUB GenEd A&H credit
• COLL (CASE) Diversity in U.S.
• COLL (CASE) A&H Breadth of Inq

• IUB GenEd A&H credit
• COLL (CASE) A&H Breadth of Inquiry credit
• COLL (CASE) Diversity in U.S. credit

Theme: Afro-Latin Music and Popular Culture. We are familiar with rhythms like reggaetón or bachata, popularized all over the world in the 21st century, but famous within Latin America since the end of the past century. But is there more to these rhythms than just partying and having fun with friends or lovers, or, the other side of it, being heart-broken because of an ex-lover? Don't get me wrong, this is all good and interesting, but where do these genres come from? How do they trace back not only to salsa and merengue, but to the aftermaths of colonization and slavery in the Caribbean and Brazil? Is there something else to listen to which will not only make us enjoy the music we already love even more, but that will open up new avenues of flow and knowledge? In this course we will move backwards, from the present to the past, covering Latin trap and hip-hop, bachata, dembow all the way to boleros, samba, son Cubano and tambores from the continental coast. We will encounter amazing artist and performers like Celia Cruz, Totó la Momposina, Gilberto Gil, Ismael Rivera, as well as gain a knowledge of the rhythms and musical instruments that defined several decades of people's everyday life in the region. We will listen to albums, watch a lot of live performances, and read lyrics and theoretical texts to construct a comprehensive panorama of all the crossings between the music, culture and history of the Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Brazilian experience. The format of this online class is the following: 3 Synchronous (live) lectures per week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday); and 3 asynchronous short assignments per week (due on Weds., Thurs., and Fri.). Evaluation: class participation and attendance (25%), weekly assignments (50%), and the final project: the creation and argumentation (5 pages) of a playlist (25%).