An Approximation to the Communication of Social Discontent in the Sound of Chilean Indie Songs (2005-2018)

Abstract

Since the 2000s, a progressive politicization of Chilean society has taken place, driven above all by young people. In this context, independent musicians emerge with a set of values linked to self-management and with a logic of otherness opposed to the large multinational industry, and not so much to activism. This article analyzes how, from the musical and sound aspect of a sample of 18 songs composed by the same number of authors between 2005 and 2018, the communication of discontent and the desire for generational changes is articulated. The methodology used is the musical semiotic analysis because, as pointed out by Frith (2014), Van Leeuwen (1999), and Machin (2010), the conventions and shared associations—particularly in Western societies—allow both the organization of the sound such as rhythms and harmonic decisions may be susceptible to study as communication resources. The findings show a stance that occurs from musicality and in which gender identities and a new identity hybridization, are vindicated, diverse and in dialogue with the Latin American but also with the Anglo-Saxon.