美国国家公共电台 NPR--Singer and songwriter iLe's third album, 'Nacarile,' finds a world deeply in flux

Singer and songwriter iLe's third album, 'Nacarile,' finds a world deeply in flux¹

Transcript²

From the war in Vietnam to the fight for civil rights, musicians have always provided a voice for change. That's exactly what happened in 2019 in San Juan, where massive protests followed a government corruption⁴ scandal and the botched rebuilding after Hurricane Maria. Those same protestors would eventually force Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign.

Singer and songwriter iLe was right in the middle of it – and together with Bad Bunny and Residente, she made a song, "Afilando los cuchillos," that became a rallying cry.

"That was our moment, where we showed how much power [we have]," iLe recalls. It was a time when "the whole country [went] to the street demanding something and expressing their anger towards the government."

iLe speaks to Morning Edition about her new album, Nacarile, which continues along her deep, and deeply politically engaged, artistic⁶ path.

iLe's "traguito," taken from her album Nacarile.

The following interview has been edited and condensed. To listen to the broadcast version of this story, use the audio player at the top of this page.

Leila Fadel, Morning Edition: There's a song on the album that became an anthem⁷ in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of those protests – "Donde nadie más respira" – and it's about corrupt³ governments, colonizers.

"Se veían a lo lejos / con⁵ aires de salvadores / se disfrazaron de dioses / y les regalamos flores / pero yo no veo vida / yo veo una muerte lenta / un silencio que aniquila / sin que nadie se de cuenta." ("They were seen from afar / with airs of saviors / they disguised themselves as gods / and we gave them flowers. But I don't see life / I see a slow death / a silence that annihilates⁸ / without anybody realizing it.")

And at the time, you said that you wrote it for people in the world who might feel like they don't have the power to fix broken governments. And I heard frustration⁹. Has Puerto Rico changed since 2019, when those protests showed the power of the people?

ALT.LATINO

iLe: How the rhythms and resilience of Puerto Rico shape her music

iLe: Well, it was a change in the elections, even though we are still with the same party in the government – but you could see a change in the voting numbers. But at the same time, I feel that we are so used to feeling like we're not worthy¹⁰ enough, we're not capable enough. It is frustrating¹¹. But at the same time, I keep feeling hopeful. And in Puerto Rico I feel that we show things in subtle ways – for example now in Hurricane Fiona, everyone in social media were saying "Do not trust government funds, just send the funds to these organizations." And people were organized; we learned a lot from Hurricane Maria. But it seemed that the government didn't learn anything.

I wondered about the song "Cuando te miro" – and depending on how you listen to the song you could hear lyrics¹² that might be about a toxic¹³ relationship or a ravaged¹⁴ planet. Dry riverbeds, hurricanes.

"Soy yo / el furacán que te debasta / soy yo / esa energía que te aplasta / soy tu fuente de alegría / tu alimento / soy yo quien te ceba hasta decir basta." ("I am / the hurricane that devastates¹⁵ you / I am / the energy that crushes you / I am your source of joy / your nourishment¹⁶ / I am the one that primes you until you say 'Enough.' ")

What is this song about?

[Laughs] I was thinking about a toxic relationship – I love that song. I wrote it with Rodrigo Cuevas, from Spain. I always try to get into these feelings that we go through a lot as human beings, and especially as women, in this world where toxic relationships are so normalized. For me, it was a way of expressing that toxicity¹⁷. How we, as women especially, tend to be saviors of the relationship. And also from a man's perspective, that society tells them not to cry, not to manage their emotions – and how toxic society has made us relate to each other as men and women in a relationship.

It's a way of trying to redefine what something bonito, something pretty, is for us ... this cliché [for women], flowers, chocolates and everything. It's so silly that we have been treated like that – as if that is going to calm us down or whatever. It's just saying "What is something pretty for us?" Something pretty for me is that we have our own rights, and that we should be treated respectfully and that no one can say anything about what we can or can't do with our own bodies.

And yet, so much of the world tells women what to do with their own bodies. When I was listening to this I was thinking about right now, in this moment, women dying and protesting in Iran for the choice not to wear the hijab. Women in India asking for the choice to wear it. Women in the United States no longer able to access abortion¹⁸ care in parts of the country. Femicides — among the highest in Latin America.

Exactly. The protests are happening, which is difficult – but at the same time, it's empowering and it's necessary. These things were happening still, this oppression towards women, because patriarchy says so.

Is it why you put politics in your music, to have these conversations?

Yeah, definitely. It's my way of letting things go for a while, and just having more energy to want to keep talking about this in a better way every time. There is a lot of social ignorance in this world – it can be cleared out in just a single conversation. That's why it shouldn't be underestimated, the power of communication, of speaking things out in a respectful way. And that's what I try to do.

1 flux   

n.流动；不断的改变

参考例句：

• The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
• In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 con   

n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的

参考例句：

• We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
• The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票，协议被通过。

6 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

7 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

8 annihilates   

n.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的名词复数 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的第三人称单数 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃

参考例句：

• Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. 艺术不能影响行为。它可以根绝干某种行动的愿望。 来自辞典例句
• That which once you rode annihilates you. 昔时的坐骑，如今却要将你毁灭。 来自互联网

9 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

10 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

11 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

13 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

14 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

15 devastates   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的第三人称单数 )；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮

参考例句：

• Strip mining devastates whole regions, leaving bare and useless ground. 露天矿产毁坏全部区域，离开赤裸和无用的地面。 来自互联网
• Prostitution is a profession that devastates the lives of young women. 雏妓这个职业是对女孩子极度的摧残。 来自互联网

16 nourishment   

n.食物，营养品；营养情况

参考例句：

• Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。
• He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。

17 toxicity   

n.毒性，毒力

参考例句：

• The hoarse grunt or squeal is characteristic of toxicity.嘶哑的哼声和叫声是中毒的特征。
• Dieldrin is related to aldrin,and its toxicity to earthworms is similar.狄氏剂与艾氏剂有关，对蚯蚓的毒性是相似的。

18 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。