Courtesy of www.uterwincenter.com

On September 8th, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) hosted something extraordinary that somehow seemed to have slipped under the radar: a brief chat with Mr. Ricardo Arjona.

For those of you who are not immediately struck by the frenzy usually accompanying a recognition of a world-famous name, Ricardo Arjona is a Grammy Award-winning, Guatemalan singer. He has been recording music for over 20 years now and prides himself in the cambios sociales (or, social change) that he has succeeded in encouraging through his art. As a Cuban American from the hub of Latino culture that is South Florida, I in particular found his presence on campus to be a must-see occurrence. (I also somewhat arrogantly texted all my Latin American friends from back home a hazy, Blackberry-snapped picture to make them aware of my good fortune.)

As I slipped in a couple minutes late to the talk entitled Ricardo Arjona: El Papel del Artista en Promover Cambios Sociales (or Ricardo Arjona: The Role of the Artist in Promoting Social Change) in Sackler Lecture Hall, I was struck by the eloquence and confidence that exuded from his person. He spoke about his experience with music as impetuses for his people to question the circumstances in which they find themselves and to start much-needed discussions on inherent societal problems. His elaboration on these social problems and the solutions he proposed were not what I expected, however: he gave surprisingly general, cookie-cutter answers like “we must educate the masses” and “politicians must learn to walk and talk the center road.” Don’t get me wrong—I definitely see the need for thorough education and perhaps more centrist Latin American politicians, yet I can’t help but think that the area is in dire need of more creative solutions. That might just be the Government concentrator in me talking, though.

Despite my slight disappointment at his political responses, there were several, token gems of the discourse. For example, in an original thought, he urged immigrants from Latin America to the United States to “paint the walls” of their abodes in an effort to make the States feel like home, instead of holding on to that last (sometimes futile) thread of hope of an imminent return to their homelands that tends to weigh down rather than support their dreams. Most strikingly, however, when asked about his approach to music, Arjona mentioned that canciones son fotografías y de allí viene todas las contradiciones que yo celebro (“songs are photographs, and from them come all the contradictions that I celebrate”). Political disagreements aside, I do hope Arjona will continue to inspire the Latino generations to come, as he has to date. If one song can impact one person to do something in favor of improving the lives of millions, that’s all that matters.

Listen: Quiero – Ricardo Arjona