Unbelonging: Inauthentic Sounds in Mexican and Latinx Aesthetics

Latinx artists use sonic subcultures to reject neoliberal definitions of belonging, using dissonant sounds to challenge systems of dominance. Iván A. Ramos argues that racial identity and belonging have historically required legible forms of performance, and that sound has been the primary medium that amplifies and assigns cultural citizenship. Unbelonging explores how Latinx artists, writers, and audiences produce experimental and often "inauthentic" performances and installations in sonic subcultures to reject new definitions of economic citizenship. It offers an urgent analysis of how these queer and feminist performers and fans used sonic illegibility to challenge gender norms, official definitions of citizenship, and narratives of assimilation, moving beyond negation to imagine alternative realities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2023
Publisher: New York University Press

Unbelonging is a groundbreaking exploration into the ways in which Latinx artists, writers, and creators utilize the dissonant sounds of punk, metal, and rock to express the aesthetic of "unbelonging," a rejection of consumerist and nationalist ideologies. In the context of twentieth-century neoliberal policies that have solidified the concept of "citizen" within the frameworks of consumerism and capitalism, author Iván A. Ramos shifts his focus to Latinx artists, writers, and audiences who produce experimental and often "inauthentic" performances and installations within sonic subcultures to challenge new definitions of economic citizenship.

The book is organized around studies of several artists, each of whom is explored through the methodological frameworks of sound studies, performance studies, and queer theory. Through these diverse approaches, Unbelonging uncovers a unifying theme of dissonance that runs through the different genres of music studied.

One of the key insights of the book is that racial identity and belonging have historically required legible forms of performance. Sound has been the primary medium through which cultural citizenship is assigned and, for Latinx individuals, legibility is essential to music that is perceived as traditional and authentic to their national origins. In the context of neoliberal policies, which have sought to define citizenship in terms of economic and cultural legibility, Ramos argues that Latinx artists, writers, and audiences produce experimental and often "inauthentic" performances and installations in sonic subcultures as a way to resist these definitions.

The book also explores the relevance of "dyke chords" in Chicana feminist punk and lesbian dissolution. Dyke chords, which are characterized by their use of minor chords and unconventional harmonies, have been used by queer and feminist musicians to subvert traditional gender and sexual norms. In the case of Chicana feminist punk, these chords have been used to express the experiences of Latina women who are marginalized by society and to challenge the patriarchal structures that perpetuate inequality.

Unbelonging offers an urgent analysis of how these oft-overlooked genres of music can challenge systems of dominance. By using dissonant sounds to express the experiences of marginalized communities, these artists and creators create spaces for resistance and subversion. Through their work, they challenge the notion that identity and belonging are fixed and immutable, and instead advocate for a more fluid and inclusive understanding of what it means to be a citizen in the twenty-first century.

In conclusion, Unbelonging is a groundbreaking exploration of the ways in which Latinx artists, writers, and creators use the dissonant sounds of punk, metal, and rock to express the aesthetic of "unbelonging." Through their work, they challenge systems of dominance, advocate for a more fluid and inclusive understanding of identity and belonging, and create spaces for resistance and subversion. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of music, culture, and politics, and offers a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about the role of sound in shaping our understanding of the world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479808458