May 2020 - Hasta Que La Dignidad Se Haga Costumbre

Through late 2019 and early 2020 a number of large demonstrations occurred across Chile, protesting the extreme economic inequality which had been normalised over the decades, both during and since the military dictatorship in the 70s and 80s. It was shocking and inspiring to see the scale of these protests and the power of this movement which crossed many traditional political boundaries, demanding change to the power structures that perpetuated this inequality.

Like all good social movements, it brought a flourishing of slogans, chants, songs and other art forms to inspire and rally a wide cross-section of the population. One of these slogans was "Hasta que la dignidad se haga costumbre" the sentiment of which translates to "until dignity is normalised". I wanted to write something in recognition of and in solidarity with this movement which seemed to me to extend beyond normally insurmountable left-right divides and had the feeling of a genuine people's movement. I was also cognisant though that many great songs has been written about and within the movement and I wanted to make something that was different from everything else around it - as an aside, here are some of my favourite songs written during and about that time:

• Nano Stern & Waikil - OjoxOjo

• Ana Tijoux & Jon Grandcamp - #CAZEROLAZO

• Benjamin Walker ft. Perota Chingo - Octubre

• Tata Barahona - Desperte

It was in the pursuit of making something different that I stumbled on the idea of an acrostic poem, where the first letter of each verse spells out a particular word or phrase, in this case the phrase that gives the song its title. From there it was a bit of an exercise of balancing that limitation with trying to capture something that was not just descriptive of what was happening in that moment, but also explored some of the structural reasons for perverse inequality. I feel good about the result and more than a little surprised with how the acrostic limitation drew me to ideas that I may not have gone to without it.

I wrote the lyrics first and, while I started messing around with possible chords & melodies, I asked a few of the SONIDO boys for ideas as well. In the end, I wrote the music on my own, except for a small part of the introduction which Rick put a few chords together for and general arrangement help from both Rick & Cesar. In addition, when we recorded the song we asked Jess Arlo Irish to noodle over the intro and she did such a great job that we used the melody she came up with as the final intro melody. For the body of the song I knew I wanted it to build to something quite forceful and fiery, and it was songs like El Chaski and Juana Azurduy that I had in mind.

Herencia de los reyes

Asumimos benevolencia

Seducidos por sus leyes

Tranquilizados con violencia

Anduvimos atontados

Queriendo aquello que ofrecen

Ultimas modas y aparatos

En estupor nos mantienen

Los recursos naturales

A unos pocos repartidos

Disfrazados de cabales

Inventan legados pa’ sus hijos

Generaciones en suceso

No descubrieron el engaño

Imaginan que es progreso

Durar con vida otro año

Ahora se está revelando

Desde Arica a Punta Arenas

Si un país desarrollando

Exige que tantos cuenten monedas

Hasta cuando esperar

A un efecto derrame

Gotas que suman sin igualar

A un ingreso razonable

Cansados de tanta injusticia

Organizan y demuestran

Solidaridad contra codicia

Tozudez con pobreza

Usando voces y cacerolas

Mueven criterios,

Botan parapetos

Repletando transmisoras

Exigen solo lo correcto

HASTA QUE LA DIGNIDAD SE HAGA COSTUMBRE

Translation

An inheritance from the time of kings,

Benevolence was assumed.

Seduced by their laws,

Tranquillised with violence,

We went about dazed,

Wanting everything they offered,

The latest fashions and gadgets,

They maintained us in a stupor.

Nature's resources

Are distributed to the few

Who, dressed up in propriety,

Invent inheritances for their sons.

Successive generations

Never discovered the ruse,

They believe that progress means

Holding onto life for another year.

Now all is being revealed,

From Arica to Punta Arenas.

If a developing country

Requires so many to count every cent,

Till when do we wait

For a trickle down effect,

Drops that fail to add up

To a reasonable income.

Tired of so much injustice,

They organise and demonstrate

Solidarity against greed,

Impatience with poverty.

Using their voices and banging pots,

They shift perspectives

And knock down barriers,

Flooding the airwaves,

They demand only what is right

Until dignity becomes custom