From Christmas music to geopolitics: the curious scenario of the protest
In what undoubtedly seems like the most surreal combination of the year, Café Tacvba vocalist, Rubén Albarrán, decided that the ideal setting for a high-voltage geopolistic analysis was not a debate forum, but a concert by the Pérez Prado Orchestra in the heart of the capital’s Zócalo. Between mambo notes and the festive spirit of the “Winter Lights”, Albarrán dropped the pearl of the night: “Trump is a terrorist!”. Because, of course, nothing says “Happy Holidays” like labeling a former American president a terrorist in front of hundreds of families who were just waiting to hear “Mambo No. 5.”
The reason for this discursive gem was, according to the musician, the incursion of the United States into Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro. Albarrán, with the solemnity of someone announcing the next topic, declared: “Today is a sad day for Latin America.” Immediately afterwards, he clarified, for the peace of mind of the purists, that his position was not exactly an endorsement of the Chavista regime, but rather a condemnation of the “violent action of the US to occupy a free and sovereign country.” A fine, very fine, red line that surely all attendees were able to appreciate among the hustle and bustle and the children asking for cotton candy.
The complete menu of express activism
But why limit yourself to a single topic? Taking advantage of the fact that the microphone was open and the audience was captive, the artist completed his political harangue with a combo of causes. He raised slogans in defense of water (a vital element, by the way, also for mixing punch) and, as a finishing touch, called for a boycott of the next World Cup in June. A masterstroke: after being outraged by the sovereignty of a nation, what could be better than to plan the sabotage of the most watched sporting event on the planet? The transition was as natural as going from a Christmas carol to a war cry.
The event, designed to be a winter and family celebration, was thus transformed into an improvised protest rally. One wonders if the organizers expected this twist. Was the speech between the lighting script and the orchestra rehearsals? The image of the musician haranguing about foreign interventionism in front of a Christmas scene is one of those that perfectly summarizes the current times: the border between entertainment, social activism and international commentary is more blurred than the meaning of the lyrics of “La Muralla”.
Albarrán’s move raises, with his usual style, an uncomfortable and comical question at the same time: has any stage with an audience become a valid platform to launch proclamations of global reach? Under this logic, we could soon hear analysis of the climate crisis during a clown show, or a call for tax reform in the middle of a baseball game. Express activism, fast, unfiltered and in the most unexpected places, seems to be the new norm. Of course, the effectiveness of mixing a mambo with a call for a World Cup boycott is subject to evaluation. How many of those present, between astonishment and confusion, mentally wrote down “cancel subscription to sports streaming services” along with “buy the Christmas tree”?
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