Kjetil Klette Bøhler

SISTE FORSKNINGSPROSJEKT (IN ENGLISH) 

PhD thesis: Grooves, Pleasures and Politics in Salsa Cubana – The Musicality of Cuban Politics and The Politics of Salsa Cubana

The thesis discusses the political aesthetics of grooves, melodies and lyrics in the experience of salsa cubana in present-day Cuba, using a combination of historical, ethnographic and musical analyses. The theoretical approach draws upon Ranciere¹s understanding of politics as what is common to the community and his argument that aesthetics is a priori to politics in its effect upon the perceptions and values of the community. From this perspective, the author looks at the ways in which the construction of aesthetic pleasure in the salsa cubana experience in turn forms identities and builds communities, thus shaping politics in its wake. Applying Ranciere’s larger notion of aesthetico-political regimes (APR) to the Cuban cultural situation, two models that both operate via the aesthetics of salsa cubana are derived: the hegemonic APR and the Afro-Cuban APR. The author engages three salsa cubana hits in terms of these APRs, combining close musical analysis of grooves, melodies and lyrics in these songs with broader ethnographic and historical discussions. The work yields three main findings. (1) Reading the experience of “Somos Cubanos” (1999) from the perspective of the hegemonic APR demonstrates how patriotic lyrics and Cuban grooves strengthen nationalist sentiment, a key value within the Cuban government. (2) Reading the experience of “Y Que Tu Quieres Que Te Den” (2005) from the perspective of the Afro-Cuban APR demonstrates how Afro-Cuban religion and identities are strengthened through sacred grooves, melodies and lyrics in today's Cuba. (3) Analysing the performance and experience of “Carita de Pasaporte" (2011) live at Casa de la Musica, Havana, demonstrates how musical pleasure represents a powerful medium for disseminating sociopolitical critiques in lyrics through the interplay between grooves, melodies and lyrics, and performers and audiences.

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