Maria Santiago, Ed.D, PhD(h.c.),FRSA, LA JEFA

Durante gran parte del siglo XX, la musicología académica decidió ignorar la música popular. La llamada ‘ciencia’ dividía el universo sonoro únicamente entre música docta, es decir, música académica enseñada en conservatorios, y música folclórica, dejando por fuera todo aquello que no encajara en esas categorías, no por falta de valor artístico, sino por puro prejuicio. La música popular quedó relegada, invisibilizada y desestimada como objeto de estudio serio. La música docta se validaba porque tenía partitura, complejidad técnica y se enseñaba en escuelas superiores, esa sofisticación la convertía en ‘arte’. La música folclórica, en cambio, se legitimaba por ser ‘pura’, rural, anónima y representar la esencia de una nación, era el objeto de estudio antropológico. En muchos espacios académicos se enseñaba que sólo la tradición europea merecía análisis riguroso; si no estaba escrita en una partitura compleja, simplemente no era música. Se podía dedicar toda una vida a analizar un manuscrito del siglo XVIII, pero estudiar un bolero o un tango era visto como una pérdida de tiempo, algo poco científico. Desde revistas especializadas y libros se reforzó la idea de que la música popular era apenas un producto para vender, comparable a un jabón o un par de zapatos, carente de espíritu o profundidad artística. La lógica era clara: si una canción sonaba en la radio y se hacía para que la gente la comprara, entonces no era arte, era negocio. Así, la academia se encerró en una burbuja de cristal, ignorando que en la música popular de América Latina estaba ocurriendo la verdadera innovación, hasta que apareció en la escena Ricardo Ray, y lo demás es historia.

🚨BREAKING: DHS agents are now illegally arresting U.S. citizens at airports… and trafficking them across state lines. A 28-year-old U.S. citizen, Sunny Naqvi, was detained by DHS, for 43 hours, after landing at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. She wasn’t charged with a crime, and she wasn’t accused of doing anything illegal… Agents reportedly detained her over what they called a “curious travel history.” Even though Sunny was born in Illinois…they still disappeared her. After being held for about 30 hours inside the airport, agents secretly moved Sunny to an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois. While this was happening, federal agents repeatedly told her family she was NOT in custody, even though her phone location showed she was inside the facility. Then it gets worse. According to witnesses, agents asked for Sunny’s phone number so they could “look for her phone.” Minutes later, the phone was opened, her messages were read, and the device was shut off, cutting off the family’s ability to track her. After that, agents transported the U.S. citizen across state lines, to another detention facility in Dodge County, Wisconsin. And then she was eventually released early Saturday morning… in a random state, alone. Her phone was dead, and she had no transportation. So, a U.S. citizen detained by the federal government had to hitchhike to a hotel, just to be able to reunite with her family. And this is what people need to understand… When federal agents can detain U.S. citizens without charges… lie to families about their custody, search personal phones, and secretly transport people across state lines… That puts every single American in danger. Because they can do it to anyone.