Conducts research and collects data on the global history of labour, workers, and labour relations

Voice of the Voiceless

11 February 1963
Mercedes Sosa, photo Annemarie Heinrich
Source: 
es.wikipedia.org

Oscar Matus was an Argentinian composer from the province of Mendoza. The composer was married to the 'Voice of the Voiceless',  the famous singer Mercedes Sosa.  Oscar Matus,  Mercedes Sosa and Armando Tejado Gómez set up the Movimiento del Nuevo Cancionero (New Song Movement) which was officially launched on 11 February 1963. It  featured songs about the life of the workers and was committed to their fate.  Armando Tejada Gómez Mendoza had indigenous roots related to a family of poor rural workers.  He worked as a newspaper vendor in the streets and became a writer and poet.  He is well-known as the author of the 'Canción con Todos' (Song for everybody), considered the hymn of Latin America.

Mercedes Sosa's first album was called 'The voice of the Sugar Harvest'.  Sugar was one of the main products in the Tucumán region, Sosa's place of origen. 'La Zafrera' is a song about a woman harvesting sugar.