Semester of Graduation

Fall 2018

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The Cuban Revolution was one of the most important events in 20th century Latin American history. The unlikely success of revolutionary heroes such as Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara inspired not only similar movements throughout the region, but an entire generation of artists and musicians. One such artist was Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Puebla. A long-time critic of Batista and his corrupt administration, Puebla set to music the ideals that the Revolution sought to build a new Cuba upon. In a country which

most of the population was illiterate until 1961, the music of artists such as Puebla served as an invaluable vehicle for these new ideas. In addition, Puebla’s work served as a form of “people’s narration” of the Revolution, as the words and deeds of revolutionary heroes were set to music and lyrics. This paper seeks to place the music of Puebla as an important “document” within Cuban historiography, as it focuses on people’s feeling and thoughts, rather than cold, unbiased reporting from a newspaper.

Date

10-24-2018

Committee Chair

Andes, Stephen

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.4832

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