A Grammy Award–winning singer and scholar explores how Chican@ artivistas in East Los Angeles, from 1995 to the present, have created a unique community of process-based political engagement influenced by the Zapatista and Fandango movements.
Part academic treatise...and part testimonio, [Chican@ Artivistas] seamlessly weaves together Chicana feminist theory, ethnomusicology and Gonzalez’s intimate experiences. In the process, it offers a glimpse into the vibrant art scene of 1990s East L.A. and the development of a Chicana artivist. ― Los Angeles Times Published On: 2020-07-24
Moving from her upbringing with her musician father to the Zapatista movement to the rise of Quetzal, Gonzalez shows how music is 'a conduit of freedom and a malleable tool for those who envision social change.' Moreover, she demonstrates how art practices can be used 'to go beyond resistance, into actively building on the dream and tangible enactments of new worlds.' ― L.A. Taco, "The 2020 L.A. Taco Book Guide" Published On: 2020-12-09
Beyond documenting an important historical period of Chicana/o music-making, the book makes other contributions of note...The book is also unique in its presentation of music culture not centered on genre or style but rather on the sociopolitical context from which the practices that Gonzalez documents and theorizes emerge...Chican@ Artivistas is a valuable text for students and scholars of Chicanx/Latinx music and culture. ― Chiricú Journal Published On: 2021-08-19