Introduces many of the most legendary Latin American women composers, musicians, and performers of the 20th & 21st centuries within the musical traditions of Mexican boleros, rancheras, Mariachi songs, salsa, Brazil’s Tropicália Movement, Southern Cone Folk music, and contemporary pop. From a gender and cultural studies analytical framework, students explore how these genres construct an idea of Latin American identity through instrumentation and performance within social, political, and cultural contexts, which, in turn, are being reshaped by the artists' work. By considering historical, critical, and ethnographic approaches, students learn to recognize different cultural productions from the performing arts. Taught in English.