Empowered by Song: The Relationship Between Misa Campesina and Peasant Involvement in Nicaragua's Revolution
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This thesis explores the relationship between the 1975 recording of Misa Campesina and peasant involvement in protest during the Nicaraguan revolution of 1979. It also looks at the mechanisms that were in place that caused this Mass to become a catalyst for protest and revolution. Through interviews of individuals who were involved in Ernesto Cardenal’s community of Our Lady of Solentiname and close analysis of the music and text found in this Mass, this thesis carries out a qualitative assessment and gathers testimonies that reflect the emotional involvement that this Mass and this community promoted among peasants and other members of the less privileged sectors of Nicaraguan society. The evidence found that this music’s capacity to articulate peasant cultural and moral values as well as its emotional appeal lie at the very foundation of what moved this community into protest.