“I have two daughters, ages 8 and 10, and reggaeton has fully entered their lives: it is everywhere. In my opinion talks about things that are not appropriate for his age, at a time when they are forming their vision of the world and have an important mental cocoa. But I’m afraid it’s almost impossible to escape it: it’s what they like.” Isabel Cuellar, primary school teacher. A testimony of many. Not only are many educational professionals against the lyrics of this genre. The list of those who think that these lyrics leave a lot to be desired is extensive.
The inappropriate and sexist theme of many lyrics from the urban scene, which acquire a sexist tone, has been criticized. Also its simplicity and lack of compositional work has been criticized.
But not everyone thinks the same. In fact, we have found a prestigious investigative journalist and Argentine writer, Florence Etcheveswho defends these lyrics, especially those of the urban scene of his country and specifically that of Duki of which he confesses himself a total fan. She has worked in television for more than 25 years, we can see some of her novels adapted on Netflix and she has just launched Frida’s cookhis latest novel.
The Duki, for me, is magic.
— Florence Etcheves
Urban scene fan
She is over fifty and is aware that it is not a genre that connects with her generation, but it has caught her special attention and it has been, precisely, because of its lyrics.
“I am a 50-year-old woman and I must say that I am a fan of trap and urban music and I am fascinated with this universe of little boys and girls who do not reach the age of 25, the Duki, Maria Becerra, Bizarre, Emilia Mernes… I’m a fan like a girl,” she confessed to us in a Zoom conversation. She has no qualms about confessing that she has fallen into the networks of this musical scene that has had so much international projection.
The magic of Duki
She is clear, “Duki for me is magic”. Beyond the fact that they may like her melodies more or less, she, as a language professional, highlights the ability of this new generation to play with it.
“As I am a person who really likes words, the play on words and how they play with language when composing song lyrics. I find it fascinating”, he assures.
The meters, at times, seem like modern poetry.
— Florence Etcheves
He recognizes that he prints those letters “and I read them, the letters of Duki or María Becerra, that I love her, and I see the metrics they use and I see the semantic field, how there are many synonyms, how they mix Spanish with Englishso that a person who does not know how to speak English understands what that word means by context.”
Language experts
Etcheves’s analysis of these lyrics is of a purely technical nature: “It seems to me that it is a fascinating work that clearly gets into language and, to me, Everything that messes with language to play, to undo it, to break it, to experiment, fascinates me.”.
I have not seen something so disruptive in the Argentine music scene.
— Florence Etcheves
He does not hesitate to compare the lyrics of singers like Duki with modern poetry: “Metrics, at times, seem like modern poetry. How they cut the words in a paragraph so that half of the word continues in the next paragraph and you didn’t miss the word in the middle. I think it’s a fabulous puzzle and there are boys and girls who compose its letters and They are too young to have that command of the language.”.
It highlights the ability they have to use language at such a young age, something that many adults would not be able to do. “To play with the language and to break the language you have to know it a lot and they know it instinctively, because they are too young to know it so much, due to their age, and yet they do it. They seem fabulous to me. For me, the Duki… I have not seen something so disruptive in the Argentine music scene”.
I have not seen a game with language as interesting as the one proposed by Duki.
— Florence Etcheves
Comparisons
He refers to the current stage because he is aware that the Argentine music scene has had a long journey and a lot of experimentation.
“I am going to make a comparison that, perhaps, here in Argentina, they are going to throw rubble at me with what I am going to say, but it is a very personal assessment. For me, the disruptive Argentine band that always played with the language was Los Redondos, Patricio Rey and his Ricotta RoundsWe call them Los Redondos, they have incredible lyrics and I believe that since them I have not seen a game with the language as interesting as the one proposed by Duki. I am not comparing them, they are different times, but I am talking about language management, break the language, throw it away and make stories out of it”, he argues.
It is clear that not everyone agrees with her way of understanding this use of language, but as always, there are opinions for all tastes and the best thing is to be able to debate with respect and arguments and she shares hers.
