Music and Neoliberal Economics in Chile

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But there is one graph that grates a little:

Today, Chile's artistic rebirth is being fueled partly by an economic boom that's considered a model for Latin American prosperity. (Ironically, some attribute this surge to Pinochet's policies.)

I understand why the author inserted that. Chile is widely considered the economic rising star, and many people DO attribute that to the Chicago Boys' neoliberal experiment in Junta-controlled Chile.

But the free market isn't really helping most Chileans. Rather, Pinochanomics continue to be a nightmare for the majority of Chile's population. When crafting its image to the outside world, Chile is very good at selling itself as rich. Yes, a few folks made out good. But it's important to consider somebody like the 30 year old woman who lives with her parents and who is only seasonally employed in a sweatshop, whom I spoke to recently. She represents Chile's poor, and most of Chile in fact.

And as far as musical richness coming from the Pinochet dictatorship, well, I've always contended that while beating artists to death and throwing their bodies into the ocean was pretty bad, imported b-sides played in malls, buses, restaurants and 9 out of 10 radio stations in Chile is also a reprehensible outcome of the dictatorship. It's one of those remnants of Pinochet that will live well beyond his ashen bones: a week in Santiago to any tourist who doesn't know better might be enough to convince her that Chileans have the worst musical taste in all of Latin America. She would be wrong, but the mainstream musical culture here can often resemble convenience store Muzak. Other Latin American countries are a little more in touch with their own musical heritage, on a mainstream scale. My understanding is that as part of the neoliberal binge, Pinochet really sold out the airwaves so to speak.

Also, economic upsurge (for the precious few it is affecting) doesn't necessarily fuel good music. Violetta Parra was dirt poor. I mean dirt poor. She sang in bars that many wouldn't dare walk into.

Granted that nowadays, the absence of targeted killings is doing wonders for Chile's music scene. Now, as opposed to before, if you play music, you won't die or be tortured because of it. Great. But why must the author go on about president Bachelet being a doctor and woman and single mother? Is the country any better off because of it? It begs the question: what is she doing for Chile's artists? Like always, precious little. That's the Chilean tradition. Violetta Parra died in poverty. Ruined. She shot herself in the head. But how easily we're fooled by meaningless symbols of progress when the undercurrent of artistic neglect is strong as ever.

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