A conversation with Rubén Blades: The Disappeared of History Global Webinar Series

·1 hr·5 clips

Why Rubén Blades chose reggae's hypnotic rhythm for his anthem about forced disappearances.

The episode is a moderated webinar conversation hosted by Professor Manuel Barcia from the University of Bath. It begins with introductions of the three guests: iconic musician Rubén Blades, Mexican painter Chantal Meza, and Professor Brad Evans, a scholar of political violence. Blades is highlighted for his Grammy-winning career, law degree, and political background, including a 1994 presidential run in Panama. The discussion centers on Blades' 1984 song 'Desapariciones', a reggae-infused salsa track addressing forced disappearances during Latin American dictatorships. Blades explains he wrote the song out of anger and solidarity, using music to break silence and show families they were not alone. He details his artistic choices, such as adopting a circular, repetitive structure to let testimonies speak without ideological bias. Chantal Meza connects this to her painting practice, which focuses on disappearance through series like 'State of Disappearance', exhibited at the University of Bath. Brad Evans facilitates dialogue on art's political role. A key moment involves Blades recounting a 1983 concert in Uruguay where the audience responded to 'Desapariciones' with dead silence out of fear or respect under dictatorship. The conversation shifts to contemporary issues, with Blades noting that disappearances in modern Mexico under democratic governance are particularly troubling, citing the unresolved case of 43 students from Ayotzinapa. Meza shares how viewers find beauty in her painful subjects because they feel recognized. The episode concludes with reflections on art as a universal, DNA-level human response to atrocity, its power to ask simple questions like 'Where are they?', and its ongoing relevance against new forms of violence and disinformation.

As heard by us

A serious public conversation where music, painting, and political memory meet in clear view.

This episode brings Ruben Blades into the Disappear of History Global Webinar Series for a discussion that links forced disappearances, artistic witness, and the song Desapariciones.

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Why you'd press play

For a serious conversation where art has to answer history.

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