Pop culture

Dan: Teo asked about popular culture and music here. His exact words were “How retarded is Argentina?” I can’t claim to be an expert, but I can judge from the t-shirts the kids are wearing. Chile seemed to be an Iron Maiden type of country. I saw more black, creepy skeleton shirts than at the Minnesota State Fair in 1988. But as soon as we crossed the border, the Ramones rule. I don’t know if they were always popular or if it took some time. I have a theory that the simple lyrics are easier to understand and translate. My Chilean friend here was in a Ramones cover band in high school that did spanish versions of their songs like ,”Yo no quiero estar enterrado, en un pet cementerio.”

The normal big pop stars are big here as well; Metallica, U2. The folks here are well aware of past superstars like Nirvana and Guns and Roses, for example. Some friends here are also way more hip than either of us in the area of new music, in English, of the variety we used to hear on Radio K, the college radio station back home. But often when people get to talking about what kind of music they like, someone my age or younger says, “I really like the Rolling Stones. Do you like the Rolling Stones?” I’m a little confused. Did he use the present tense with The Stones? Do I like the Rolling Stones? It’s like asking, “Do you like sand?” I’ve never really thought about it. Sure, of course I do, but I wouldn’t think of it as something that defines my tastes. At times it would be impossible to avoid anyway. It’s just a part of life.

Rock Nacional (domestic rock) is very popular, but I can’t name any bands. We don’t have a radio of our own, and now that I stopped going to the gym (you know, that place where a guy named Raul tells you to lift that thing over there 30 times) all the Argentine rock I hear is from the boludo in the apartment next door.

Yes, Teo. Shakira is also here. As are Green Day and Avril Lavigne, at least judging from their images on school kids’ backpacks. Great role models for Argentine youngsters. Speaking to the Shakira Effect, a couple of weekends ago we were walking in a park and passed a pre-teen or maybe teen birthday picnic. To our surprise, the girls were listening to eastern tabla music, showing off their bellydance moves. So, the growth of “baile arabe” instruction must be a direct result of the Shakiraization of Latin America. On the bright side, maybe in a few years these kids will produce some wicked latino-arabic-pop punk.