WASHINGTON — Mercedes Sosa, an Argentine singer who emerged as a electrifying voice of conscience throughout Latin America for songs that championed social justice in the face of government repression, died Sunday at a medical clinic in Buenos Aires. She was 74 and had liver, kidney and heart ailments.
Her remains lay in state at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, where thousands lined up to pay respects.
“She was the best ambassador the country ever had,” said Clara Suarez, 63, holding a bouquet of white flowers.
With a rich contralto voice, Sosa was foremost a compelling singer whose career spanned five decades. She performed with entertainers as varied as rock star Sting, the Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanes and folk singer Joan Baez, who said she was so moved by Sosa’s “tremendous charisma” that she once dropped to her knees and kissed Sosa’s feet.
Sosa’s towering artistry, which led to several Latin Grammy Awards, belied her physical dimensions. Short, round, dark-skinned and often dressed in peasant clothing, Sosa was affectionately nicknamed “La Negra” (the Black One) as an homage to her indigenous ancestry.
While not defining herself as a political activist, Sosa asserted herself in the “nueva cancion” movement of the 1960s and 1970s that blended traditional folk rhythms with politically charged lyrics about the poor and disenfranchised.
Sosa came under official harassment and intimidation by the right-wing, nationalist junta that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983.
Unable to earn a living or speak out as an opponent of the regime, she moved into exile in 1979 and lived for three years in France and Spain.
Sosa returned to Argentina shortly before the dictatorship crumbled and found that her popularity had risen to a new peak. Concerts attracted tens of thousands, and albums sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
She received a 10-minute standing ovation for a 1987 concert at Carnegie Hall. And she broadened her repertoire to include rock, pop and cabaret songs, always sung in her native language.
Esquire magazine once noted, “Your Spanish may or may not be good, but Mercedes Sosa requires no translation. Hers is the song of all those who have overcome their fear of singing out.”
Sosa recorded more than 70 albums. Her latest, “Cantora 1,” is nominated for three prizes in next month’s Latin Grammy awards in Las Vegas, including album of the year and best folkloric album.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
