«Oración del Remanso»: stylization, poetics and performativity in the «canción del Litoral» from an interdisciplinary approach

Abstract

This paper proposes a holistic analysis of Jorge Fandermole's song «Oración del Remanso» from an interdisciplinary perspective that combines musicological, literary, performative, and socio–discursive approaches. The aim is to describe and explore the multiple layers of meaning that make up this song, one of the author's most often covered songs, widely enjoyed in different contexts.

The starting point is Juan Pablo González's (2021) definition of «popular song» which he describes as a complex and multifaceted object of study, made up of multiple «texts» that converge in its realization. This idea is complemented by the contributions of Claudio F. Díaz (2017, 2022) and Julio Mendívil (2019), who think of music as a social practice, connected to and affected by power relations, identity, and meaning.

This analysis is structured around four main points: musical elements and their organization in the piece; this song's place in the genre of canción del litoral and the stylistic processes that connect it to—and at the same time differentiate it from—chamamé; Fandermole's voice as an aesthetic, physical, and symbolic construction; and the lyrics, in terms of their literary aspects, poetical elements, their relationship with the music, and their testimonial dimension, related to the reality of the fishermen from Remanso Valerio. The work concludes with a reflection on this song's circulation in different contexts and its collective appropriation, paying attention to its multiple versions, reinterpretations, and journeys. 

Finally, in line with González (2021), Semán (2019), Mendívil (2019), and Díaz (2022), «Oración del Remanso» is approached as a living work, as a diachronic process in constant motion.