Mercedes Sosa; image courtesy of roxytom.bluecircus.net
I regret that I didn’t know about Argentinian singer Mercedes Sosa until her I read about her passing this morning after multiple ailments, but when CNN refers to someone as “the voice of Latin America,” it catches your attention. As does reading that her prolific output of music reflected on the economic hardships of Latin American citizens and the political corruption of authoritarian leaders. In addition to her music, she served as UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Here she is singing with Joan Baez, a legendary feminist American folk musician who seems a kindred spirit.
And while Sosa became fairly obscure in the states, she inspired younger Latin American singers who later crossed over into the American mainstream.
So, knowing very little about Sosa her beautiful voice, I’m encouraged to find out more about her (after CNN, I referred to NPR). If you have any recommendations of books or documentaries or films where her work is featured, please share with us in the comments section. For now, let’s celebrate this wonderful talent and hope that others remember and follow her humane, politicized influence.
