ABSTRACT
The generic term “protest song” establishes a syntactic relationship between the “song” class, and the “protest” species, forming a united meaning. The song is “a composition in verse accompanied by music”, with the verse being the smallest unit of poetic language. Etymologically, according to the dictionary of Maria Moliner, the word “protest” comes from the Latin term protestari, composed from the verb testari, which means to witness, to testify, or to declare, along with the term testis, which means to witness. In time, civil rights themes expanded in popular protest music, most notably including themes on the treatment of Native Americans. Meanwhile, just as musicians crafted protest music in support of the civil rights movement, others confronted the terrible reality of the Cold War in song. The creators, performers, and scholars of music who gathered at the Varadero Festival defined themselves as “protest song workers.”
