Renata Flores, Quechua Rapper, Inspires →
Renata Flores came across my radar when a former student saw an article about her in the New York Times. Jason Kottke writing about her is my gauge for her getting traction in the US:
Quechua is an indigenous language family spoken by millions of people in the Andean region of South America, primarily in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. It was the main language of the Inca empire and today is the most widely spoken pre-Columbian language in the Americas. In her music, Peruvian singer/songwriter Renata Flores combines modern forms like hip hop, electronic, and trap music with native instruments and vocals sung in Quechua.
Peru’s 1975 constitution recognized Quechua (and Aymara) as an official language in Peru. Even so, many families in the city aren’t up front about speaking it because of the historic discrimination Quechua-speakers have faced and still face to this day.
It’s very common for many Quechua speakers to not teach their children or grandchildren the language because they consider this knowledge as a burden. To explain the shortage of active bilingualism in Peru, the linguist Virginia Zavala uses the concept of “linguistic ideologies,” which are the ideas that people have about languages. For example: French is the language of love; German sounds rough; Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish are similar.
Quechua, similarly to other indigenous languages, is associated with poverty, rural life, and illiteracy. These ideas have been shaped by history and society to the point that people hold on to these beliefs as if they were universal truths. And these “truths” are deeply embedded in their conscious thought process. Value hierarchies also exist with languages. Some are “worth” more than others.
The end result is that many native Quechua speakers believe that using Quechua in public is unnecessary after learning Spanish. Either by shyness or shame, they reserve their maternal tongue for private spaces and intimate conversations.
My hope is that artists like Renata Flores can start to change this. It’s a beautiful language that preserves a fascinating history and culture. Maybe her traction outside of Peru will help her gain even more in Peru. Enjoy: