Blurb:

This article aims to expand understandings of the New Singer-Songwriter Movement (Nuevo Cancionero) through the stories of those who fought for freedom and hope for political change during the Stroessner military dictatorship in Paraguay (1954-1989). Our research has included a unique interview with the Paraguayan harpist ‘Selva’ Celsa Ramírez Rodas, who, due to her intense activity as a member of resistance movements, was persecuted, imprisoned and tortured by the Paraguayan military regime. The first-hand experiences told by Ramírez shed light on the violence of repression, the firmness of resistance to that repression, and the use of music in two different ways: as a means of torture and as a means of resistance. We also highlight the cultural activities carried out in the Emboscada prison camp and present some music recordings made clandestinely by prisoners. We highlight the importance of the Nuevo Cancionero, and the “rooted and rooting” character that is embedded in these musical recordings.