The construction of new urban identities: Latin American indigenous languages and Spanish in the etno-rap

Abstract

This article intends to explore efforts to revitalize indigenous languages in Latin America, taking ethno-rap as example. This musical genre emerged at the beginning of this century in Latin America, when a number of rap groups began to incorporate indigenous languages into their songs in order to recover and revalue them through their musical productions. The paper focuses on the phenomenon of code-switching - frequently used by rappers in their songs - which I interpret in a broad sense as the use of different stylistic resources of linguistic, visual and sonorous nature. By means of this strategy, the artists construct hybrid identities in their performances, revealing a new urban identity in which indigenous linguistic and cultural roots take on a prominent value. As an example, the case of the Peruvian rapper Liberato Kani and his title Kaykunapi will be analyzed. It will be argued that ethno-rap can have a positive impact on young people of indigenous origin and their self-esteem, making it a valuable tool for linguistic revitalization.