Reflections on Experimental Music and Latin Identity in the Context of New York Sound Art

Abstract

This study tracks and analyzes the creative work of various musicians and sound artists of Latin-American and Spanish origin who are currently developing their careers in New York City. From this perspective, it attempts to reflect on the possibility of conceiving and articulating a Latin identity in the field of experimental music. In an initial approach, the possible motivations that justify their adherence to the New York sound experimentation scene are examined, as well as the reasons for their scarce presence in the identity mechanisms that structure Hispanic communities in the United States. Faced with the classical conception of experimental music as an abstract, international and neutral manifestation, it is possible to question the ideological aspects that underlie its origin as an expression of American cultural reaffirmation, first, and as a colonial mechanism, second. This line of argument tries to reveal the deep contradictions that these artists assume when participating in this context. Finally, various forms of emancipation present in their respective artistic works are explored, such as the use of language, the incorporation of certain self-reflective visions about identities in Latin America and, especially, the adoption of more critical approaches regarding the use and consumption of technologies, which can be interpreted as a shared ideological position.