Mercedes Sosa, an Argentine singer who was well-known throughout Latin America and many other countries, went by the stage name La Negra (literally, “The Black One,” a love nickname for persons with a darker complexion in Argentina). She was born on July 9, 1935, in Argentina, and she died on October 4, 2009. Sosa, a notable representative of El nuevo cancionero, is a product of Argentine folk music. She gave voice to several tunes written by Latin American songwriters. Thanks to her singing, she earned the moniker “voice of the voiceless.”
Why was Mercedes Sosa forced into exile?
Songs with political messages were frequently the cause of many musicians in Latin America experiencing terrible personal losses, being imprisoned, and being exiled during the 1960s and 1970s. Sosa was threatened with death, detained on stage, imprisoned, and ultimately forced into exile in France throughout her lifetime. She resided in France and Spain for three years, but the psychological toll of exile proved to be too much for her; she felt she was no longer able to sing.
