La Bala (album)

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La Bala
Studio album by
Released2011
Recorded2011
GenreLatin, Hip hop, Jazz, Funk, Soul
Length45:38
LabelOveja Negra, Nacional Records
Ana Tijoux chronology
Elefant Mixtape
(2011)
La Bala
(2011)
Vengo
(2014)

La Bala is the third studio album by Latin hip hop artist Ana Tijoux, released in 2011 by Oveja Negra and in 2012 by Nacional Records.[1]

The album was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album in 2012, and the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album in 2013.

Reception[edit]

Critics have noted the thematic shift in focus from the exploration of personal history and identity in Tijoux's previous album, 1977, towards pointed political critique.[2] Tijoux has stated the album was partly inspired by the global politics of 2011 and 2012, particularly the growth of protests such as Occupy Wall Street, 15M in Spain, and the Chilean Student Movement.[3] Reviewers at NPR have praised the album for being both "musically solid and socially conscious."[4] Some suspected the opening track "La Bala" ('The Bullet"), which describes the shooting of a young man, was based on the death of Chilean student protester Manuel Gutierrez Reinoso. Tijoux has denied this, noting how she wrote the song several months before the incident.[5]

"Shock" was the first single released from the album. It was inspired by and named after Naomi Klein's book, The Shock Doctrine, which discusses how global powers have used violence and "manufactured crises" to maintain power and exploit workers, including how the policies of economists like Milton Friedman affected the Chilean people under the Pinochet regime.[6] The song went on to become an anthem for Chilean student protesters.[7] The music video for "Shock" was directed by Aldo Guerrero and features footage from schools and universities occupied by student protesters.[8]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."La Bala" 
2."Shock" 
3."Desclasificado" 
4."Sacar La Voz" 
5."El Rey Solo" 
6."Quizás" 
7."Si Te Preguntan" 
8."Las Cosas Por Su Nombre" 
9."Mi Mitad" 
10."Las Horas" 
11."Volver" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Discog Website subpage on La Bala Record". Discog. 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Ana Tijoux – La Bala | Music Review | Sounds and Colours". soundsandcolours.com. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  3. ^ Tijoux, Ana. "Ana Tijoux: Addressing Global Unrest In Rhyme". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  4. ^ "First Listen: Ana Tijoux, 'La Bala'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  5. ^ "First Listen: Ana Tijoux, 'La Bala'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  6. ^ Berglund, Jeff; Johnson, Jan; Lee, Kimberli (2016-05-05). Indigenous Pop: Native American Music from Jazz to Hip Hop. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 9780816533732.
  7. ^ Mularski, Jedrek (2014-11-28). Music, Politics, and Nationalism In Latin America: Chile During the Cold War Era. Cambria Press. ISBN 9781621967378.
  8. ^ "Top 10 Chilean Protest Songs | Sounds and Colours". soundsandcolours.com. Retrieved 2016-10-17.