The nightingale and the commoner: The United States of America and popular song in Mexico and Peru in the 1920s

Throughout the 20th century, the United States of America consolidated its presence across the continent. The establishment of the american way of life as a paradigm of modernity in every major Latin American city had a strong impact due to the new forms of mass entertainment that immediately captivated the public, irretrievably impacting in popular taste as well as in the production of local artists. This exposure to the North American aesthetic ideals stimulated the birth in Latin America of a popular song that keenly assimilated its musical elements while exposing a literary spirit identified with Modernism. In this article, through the analysis of original songs by Guty Cárdenas and Felipe Pinglo, I identify these literary and musical traces and propose the conception of a continental historical community of songwriters in order to reevaluate the complex reality of popular song in America.