Ericka Verba on Music, Activism, and Preserving Latin American History
Dive into the life and work of Ericka Verba, Director of Latin American Studies at Cal State LA and author of Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra. From her journey of cultural discovery to her passion for Latin American music and activism, Ericka shares insights on academia, overcoming obstacles, and staying connected to community and heritage.
What's a typical day in your life look like?:
I drive to Cal State LA, where I am director of Latin American Studies. I meet with students, answer emails, teach, discuss with colleagues, answer emails, meet in committee, answer emails, and answer emails :)
What is the most rewarding part of your work?:
Working with my amazing colleagues, staff, and students
How would you say your upbringing and cultural background contributed to your career aspirations?:
My parents taught me to be open and I travelled a lot with them as a child. They gave me a love of music and language. Then in high school in the early 1970s I became friends with a Chilean family of musicians and artists. They taught me my first Violeta Parra songs and guided my political awakening to the brutality of the Pinochet dictatorship and the role of the US government in installing and supporting it. They set me on the course that I have followed ever since, as a musician, scholar, and now the author of Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra.
What would you say is a common question or concern you get from your clients/followers?:
People often wonder if I am Latina and then, once they find out that I'm not, wonder why I am so passionate about Latin American music and specifically the Chilean musician and artist Violeta Parra.
What would you say has been your biggest obstacle in launching a successful career? How have you overcome it?:
It was very hard to find full-time work as an academic after I finished my PhD. I am very happy that I finally landed a position in the History Department at CSU Dominguez Hills and, afterwards, the position of director of Latin American Studies at CalStateLA.
What is the phrase, sentence, or conversation that stopped you in your tracks and changed your outlook in life?:
Learning about US complicity in the military coup in Chile (Sept. 11, 1973) when I was in high school. I couldn't understand why the US government would support such a criminal regime, and also why no one in my high school knew about it besides my Chilean friends.
If you had the choice to go back to your past or fast forward to your future, which one would you choose? Why?:
Wow, that's a tough one. I like my present. I don't particularly want to re-live my life and I am going to be turning 65 in January so not wanting to fast forward to the future either. I am pretty content in the here and now.
What are you committed to doing no matter what happens?:
Working with people to make a better world for our children and grandchildren.
Where might you be found on a Saturday afternoon with no plans?:
On my balcony having an impromptu happy hour with my neighbors.
If you were to meet 10 year old you, what would you say to them?:
Keep singing and dreaming.
What is something you’re willing to start all over again?:
I could start college all over again. I love learning. I like to think I'm like the Milton Nascimento song Coração de Estudante, that I have a "corazón de estudiante."
When are you the happiest?:
When I'm singing with friends or playing with my grandaughters.
What is stopping you?:
Burocracias.
Hustle culture and burnout is so prominent in our community. How do you prioritize self care?:
Not very well. I try to do an exercise routine everyday and accept the fact that my "to do" list is ridiculous and won't all get done. And I try to spend a lot of times with friends and family so I can feel renewed.
Same goes for imposter syndrome. How do you combat those feelings (if any)?:
I used to have imposter syndrome. I am old enough to know that perfection is way over-rated. And my favorite song lyric is "And all I've done for want of wit / to memory now I can't recall" from the Irish song "The Parting Glass."
How do you stay connected to your culture, heritage, and community?:
Through family and activism.
What would 18-year-old you say about where you are at in life now?:
I think she would be surprised at all of the continuities and also the ruptures.
What accomplishment are you most proud of, both in your personal and professional life?:
Being musical director of a tribute concert to Violeta Parra in 1996, and researching and writing a biography of her (forthcoming in January 2025).
Drink 🫖
What is Ericka’s go-to drink?
I like black coffee :)
Listening To 🎧
What is Ericka listening to at the moment?
Jorge Drexler
Your Truth 🗣️
What is a Ericka’s truth?
People who are willing to give all to their art and their beliefs inspire me. People who are kind and able to listen and who change other people through their kindness and ability to listen. They can be my neighbor or a public figure. The way they are in the world is what inspires me.
Your Plug 🔌
What is Ericka plugging today?
My book Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra is a way to introduce people who don't know Violeta Parra to her and also to her songs, musical compositions, and artwork. I want Parra to become as well known as Frida Kahlo. I think she's that amazing a musician and artist.
More about Ericka Verba
Ericka Verba is Director and Professor of Latin American Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Her research interests include the cultural Cold War, the role of music in social movements, and the intersection of gender and class politics in twentieth-century Latin America. She has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Fulbright, and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. She is a founding member of SCALAS (Southern California Association of Latin American Studies) and the recipient of the E. Bradford Burns Award for service to the Pacific Coast Council on Latin American Studies.
She is the author of the book Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra. Her interest in Violeta Parra dates back to her early teens in the 1970s when she became friends with a Chilean family of musicians and artists who taught Verba her first Violeta Parra songs and guided her political awakening to the brutality of the Pinochet dictatorship and the role of the US government in installing and supporting it. As a musician and founding member of the US-based New Song groups Sabiá and Desborde, she has been performing Parra’s music since 1976. In 1980, she wrote her undergraduatesenior thesis on Parra’s autobiography in verse. In 1996, she was the musical director and arranger for a tribute concert to Violeta Parra, supported by an Artists in the Community grant from the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and recorded and released as Desborde, Tribute Concert to Violeta Parra. As a professor of Latin American History since 2004, she has welded her research on the history of women in Chile with her interest in Parra to acquire a deeper understanding of the social context and gender dynamics that shaped Parra’s life. Suffice to say, Verba’s book represents the culmination of a decades-long curiosity about Violeta Parra and engagement with her work.