Guarania as a strategy of decolonial rebellion and social revolution

Abstract

The objective of this exploratory research is to shed light on the transformative socio-cultural mission of the guarania, a product of resilience. The methodology employed relies primarily on participant observation as its central technique. The findings indicate that: 1) the primordial guarania dates back to the era of Paraguay’s Independence (1811-1815); 2)its core development took place in Buenos Aires, although its roots are deeply embedded in the territory of the Interior Paraguay; and its most influential works belong to the porteño exile of the Exterior Paraguay, which, through a synergistic exchange with the Interior Paraguay, became a key factor in social mobilization and political change, such as the overthrow of the Stronist dictatorship (1954–1989). The study concludes that the guarania is imbued with dialectical tensions between opposing poles, such as the following: 1) it rescues the identity-bearing song of the forest, while employing the European phrasing of bel canto; 2) the exile of intellectuals and artists becomes a reward that grants creative freedom, although persecution also operates beyond borders, further enhancing creativity; and 3) the main figures of Stronist song ultimately become the principal interpreters of the proscribed songs, following the political shift of 1989.