This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! Audio and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Ana Tijoux, French Chilean Musician, on First Album in 10 Years, Gaza Protests, Trump Admin & Hope
We speak with Ana Tijoux,, the French Chilean musician and hip-hop artist known for her socially conscious lyrics, as she launches her U.S. tour. Her parents were exiled to France during the U.S.-backed Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, and she returned to Chile in 1993 and has been making music ever since. Her first new album in 10 years was released in 2024, Vida, and Serpiente de Madera is her new EP out this year. “In this historical moment, we are in constant movement. … [E]verything is quick,” says Tijoux of her latest music. “Sometimes for me it is important to come back to my community, to my people, to not lose hope.” Tijoux also discusses the Palestinian diaspora in Chile and the ongoing crackdown on protests against the genocide in Gaza, and the role of artists in confronting the Trump administration’s culture wars.