?Cumbia, nena?. Cumbia Scene, Gender & Class in Argentina

ALABARCES, PABLO; SILBA, MALVINA

Made in Latin America. Studies in Popular Music

Routledge, Routledge global popular music series

Lugar: New York; Año: 2016; p. 79 - 88

From its origin in Colombia in the end of XIX century, Cumbia has extended throughout most regions of Latin America by the mediation of cultural industry, adopting in each local case several variations and meanings. In the Argentine case, its popularization marked its transformation in the music par excellence of popular classes: music of the poor people. It also introduced a connection with other local products such as folk music, chamamé, or modern music as the cuarteto. But, fundamentally, Cumbia?s popularization meant its consecration as the most popular genre, in the double meaning of its consumption (sales? figures show it as the best seller genre) and its relationship with the concept of class. There is also a complementary dimension in which Cumbia is used not only by popular but also by middle classes. This use allows us to understand the phenomenon of the so called cultural plebeianism of the last two decades. This chapter discusses how the study of Cumbia ?both its musical and lyrical texts, and its practices, from the industrial production to the dance? allows us to understand issues of class, gender and ethnicity, probably as no other cultural product in contemporary Argentina.