‘“Demo” and “cracy”’: music, trust, and authentication in Mexico’s 2018 elections

Green, A. (2023) ‘“Demo” and “cracy”’: music, trust, and authentication in Mexico’s 2018 elections. Cultural Studies, 37(3), pp. 418-443. (doi: 10.1080/09502386.2021.1978518)

Abstract

Taking as its focal point the Mexican national elections of 2018, this article explores how music, often circulated in the form of online videos, has responded to low political trust in an emerging multiparty system. It explores home-made videos made to foment trust in the election’s eventual victor, and a project funded by the National Electoral Institute (INE) to use rap to facilitate informed participation in the elections. It engages with the literature on musical ‘authenticity’ to discuss what it explores as two forms of musical ‘authentication’: one personal, which authenticates or vouch for individual political leaders, and another systemic, looking to foment legitimacy by supporting voters’ ability to verify political claims. This article thus contributes to the understanding of political systems undergoing democratic transitions, arguing for attention to democratization as an affective, creative, and multiple process.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Green, Dr Andrew
• Authors: Green, A.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Music
• Journal Name: Cultural Studies
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 0950-2386
• ISSN (Online): 1466-4348
• Published Online: 21 September 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Author
• First Published: First published in Cultural Studies 37(3): 418-443
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
300054		Sonic Trajectories of Censorship in Mexico (STCM)	Andrew Green	Leverhulme Trust (LEVERHUL)	ECF-2017-159	Arts - Music