Before the song

1. The theme of this song is violence against women. In small group, discuss the following questions: What modes of violence against women can happen? Do you remember any recent case of violence against women in the media? What common elements can be identified in those cases? Do you think that violence against women is an issue that concerns society now? Why?

2. The word feminicida (femicide) is key in the song. What does this word mean? In your opinion, how does the listener´s perspective change if they hear “femicide” instead of “violence against women”? Discuss these questions with your classmates. Then read the description of feminicidio (femicide) below and comment about what strikes you most in the definition.

3. In recent years, feminist movements in Latin America have resurfaced with force. These groups denounce violence against women and use art as a tool for social change. For instance, Vivir Quintana is a young Mexican singer and songwriter who fights against patriarchal violence through her songs. One of those songs is “Canción sin miedo.” Read this interview and watch this video on Vivir Quintana´s life and music and answer the questions. Discuss your answers with your classmates.

3.1. How did the idea of writing “Canción sin miedo” come about? Where was it sung for the first time? How was this live music experience according to Vivir?

3.2. How does Vivir´s personal and family history influence her interest in music and women´s equality?

3.3. Vivir says in the interview, “Yo quisiera que esta canción ya no se volviera a cantar nunca” (“I wish this song would never be sung again.”). And also, “Yo digo que esta canción ya no es mía, que esta canción es de todas las compañeras” (“I think that this song is no longer mine, that this song belongs to all the women”). What does Vivir mean by these comments? What is her view of music? Other artists consider that music should not be mixed with social problems. With what view do you agree most? Why? Do you know any example of music that addresses social issues? What issues do they talk about? With what perspective are these issues addressed?

For all those women marching in Reforma
For all the women fighting in Sonora
For the comandantas fighting for Chiapas
For all the mothers looking in Tijuana,

We sing without fear, we ask for justice
We scream for every missing
Shout loud: “we want us alive!”
Will the feminicida (woman killer) fall hard!

I burn everything, I break everything
If one day some guy closes your eyes
Nothing keeps me quiet anymore

I burn everything,  I break everything

¡Justice!, ¡Justice!, ¡Justice!!

After listening to the song  

In groups of three or four, answer the questions below to know more about the themes in the song. Share your answers with the rest of the class.

6. This song highlights the concept of community and, through it, the message of solidarity between women (sororidad, sisterhood). Several elements in the song help to emphasize that communal dimension. Answer the following questions to find them out: alongside the individual voice of Vivir Quintana, what collective voice participates in the song? What is the most common pronoun used in the song and to whom does it refer? What community, what group is this song dedicated to?

7. Right in the middle of the song, the individual voice speaks strongly in the form of the pronoun “I.” However, it is an individual voice that takes different names: “I am Claudia, I am Esther and I am Teresa.” What does this “multiple I” convey? Does it reinforce or dilute the message of solidarity with the group?

8. The tone of the composition is angry. What words and expressions in the song contribute to this tone? Do you think the tone is in line with the theme? Why? Against whom is the anger of the text addressed? Anger and belligerence are not traits commonly associated with women in the media: what effects may the song have if it breaks this “norm”?

9. The song concludes with an almost literal reference to the Mexican national anthem. National anthems emphasize group identity and the defense of the group against other groups. From this perspective, “Canción sin miedo” could be understood as an anthem, although not for a national group. Who is this anthem for? However, the song modifies some words from the national anthem. Compare the stanzas below and highlight those differences. What ideas and values do those changes in the song convey?