The Music of Resistance

In addition to visual art and other forms of creative expression, communities that resist extractivism compose, sing, listen to, and collaborate in the production of music that poetically and melodically names, laments, and protests environmental injustice and ecological degradation. The music of ecological resistance also celebrates the beauty and abundance of Creation, along with communal efforts to live in harmony with the earth and all its inhabitants. Below are just a few examples of music that resists the ecological colonialism of empire and extractivism, and music that announces the possibility of another way. Some videos already contain English subtitles (choose subtitles in videos’ YouTube settings) and, for those that don’t, we have made English translations available in linked PDFs.

“Latinoamérica”
Calle 13

“Preguntitas Sobre Dios”
Atahualpa Yupanquí
English Lyrics PDF

“Somos Sur”
Ana Tijoux

“Somos Hijos del Maíz”
Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy
English Lyrics PDF

“A la Chingada”
Grupo Libre

“Madre Tierra Pachamama”
Grupo Siembra
English Lyrics PDF