Women of Sound: Aimé Painé

Aimé Painé (1943-1987) was a Mapuche singer-songwriter from Argentina. As she worked to rediscover her own identity, she became a symbol of resistance against oppression, advocating for the rights of her people through her music and activism. Painé's legacy endures as an icon of indigenous pride and cultural resilience in the face of adversity.

For Further Reading:

• Aimé Painé, the messenger

• Aimé Painé, the tireless fight for Mapuche identity

• In memory of Aime Paine, brave Mapuche fighter

This month, we're talking about Women of Sound. These women dominated the airwaves: innovating, documenting, and creating the audio landscape we live in today.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Wamanica. This month we're talking about women of sound.
These women dominated the airwaves, innovating, documenting, and creating the
audio landscape we live in today. Today we're talking about
a woman whose talent and personal journey tell the story

(00:23):
of resilience and cultural revival. Let's talk about i May Paiee.
In nineteen forty three, I May was born into the
Mapuche and Tehuelche community in Rio Negro, Argentina. At the time,
Argentinian laws didn't recognize names of Indigenous origin like I May,
so I May was legally named Olga Elisa Paynee. When

(00:46):
I May was three years old, she was sent to
an orphanage. Though her parents were alive, they were unable
to take care of her. She spent the next three
decades drifting further and further away from her family, community
and culture. As a child, I May spend a lot
of time in Mar de Plata. She was often lonely.
No one in her school or her town looked like her.

(01:09):
Adults and kids constantly repeated harmful stereotypes about Indigenous people
that they were savages. I May longed for a sense
of identity and belonging. Eventually she found it in music.
I May joined the school choir. She was musically inclined
and had a beautiful voice. A couple in the area

(01:31):
heard her sing and adopted her. The couple took interest
in her musical abilities and hired private tutors for singing
and guitar. When she was old enough to be on
her own, I May move to Buenos Aires. There in
nineteen seventy three, I May have joined the National Polyphonic Choir.

(01:51):
While in the choir, she sang mostly classical music, but
as she got older, I May have been interacting more
with Mapuche culture, an indigenous music of Latinum Erica. She
longed to know it better. Armed with her guitar and
an unwavering sense of purpose, I May embarked on a
mission to reclaim her heritage. She traveled throughout Argentina and

(02:15):
Chile tape recorder in hand, collecting songs, folklore, and teachings
from the indigenous communities and cultures she encountered. As her
knowledge and talent blossomed, so did her awareness of the
challenges facing indigenous communities in Argentina. Discrimination marginalization and cultural
erasure threatened to silence the voices of the Mapuche people,

(02:39):
but i May refuse to be quiet. The community grandmothers
were a particularly rich source of information. They taught her
about Mapuche music, about its rhythm, its poetic lyrics. They
also introduced her to daiel, ceremonial songs passed through generations,
usually by women. With the grandmother's permission, i May recorded

(03:03):
these chants. She understood that her voice was not just
a means of expression, but a vessel through which she
could honor her roots and amplify the voices of the
Mapuche people. She traveled around with her guitar, performing folkloric
and indigenous songs. She sang in the Mapuche language mapou
dung goun, and played recorded taeels from the grandmothers who'd

(03:24):
taught her. She passed along anecdotes that the grandmothers had
told her while visiting them. Dressed in authentic indigenous clothing
and Mapouche silver jewelry, I May converted her concerts into
anthropology classes about the Mapouche culture. Many people dissuaded i
May from her work. They said people didn't care about

(03:46):
the issues of indigenous people anymore. But I May wasn't deterred.
Through her music, I May become a beacon of hope,
breathing new life into ancient songs that had been all
but forgotten. She believed that if the people existed, so
did the culture. With each melody and soul stirring lyric,
I May invited her audience as to experience the beauty

(04:08):
and resilience of Mapuche culture firsthand. She thought of herself
as a messenger. She said of her performances through words,
I returned pieces of memory to you. The warmth and
love behind Amy's voice resonated with people of all backgrounds,
transcending language and cultural barriers to create connections based on

(04:29):
shared humanity. Her work was all live. Despite her vocal abilities,
I May never recorded an album. On September tenth, nineteen
eighty seven, I May suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while performing
in Paraguay. She was forty four years old. Today, I
May's legacy continues to inspire and empower individuals around the world.

(04:54):
Her music serves as a testament to the enduring spirit
of the Mapuche people and a reminder of the importance
of preserving indigenous cultures in an eff changing world. All month,
we're talking about women of Sound. For more information, find
us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast. Special thanks
to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator. Talk

(05:16):
to you tomorrow