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Analysis of "El Sombrero Az l- (The Blue Hat)

 

            Perceptions and music are two important factors in society. Perceptions have always played an important role in human being life. They contribute to the process of communication between people, in which the individuals share with others their understanding of the world. Music can play a similar role, communicating situations and emotions by sounds, words, and harmonies. For many of us, one or some songs let us to go back in our past, remembering precious moments or encouraging an action. One song that encourages Salvadorian people to fight, to work hard and never give up is The Blue Hat (El Sombrero Azul). There are two versions of this controversial Salvadorian song, one of them encourages people to be ready for battle. While the other adaptation, encourages them to rebuild our county.
             The original version of The Blue Hat written by Ali Primera, in the 1980's, is a composition dedicated to the Salvadorian people. It belongs to the protest music category, which was very popular in Latin America during the '70s and '80s. There was a civil war in El Salvador during 1979 and 1993. At that time, the government thought that this song persuaded people to fight against them. The rhythm and the lyrics of this piece of music woke up the feeling of patriotism. It suggests protecting the country fighting against the intruders who were helping the government with the people's repression. The composer is, in some sense a sociologist of sound, using mass manipulation not only of emotions, but also of activity. He intends to present the song as a trigger for the angry of the Salvadorian who feel affected by those supposed invaders. Manipulation is and has been a characteristic of composers who write protest music.
             The first version of The Blue Hat impresses the listeners with the strong cadence and the glorious sound of martial music. The guitar sound makes people feel strong and ready for the battle. That is the reason why this melody and many others were forbidden during the war in El Salvador.


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