Rock in Quechua in Peru: Language, Visuality, and Legitimation in the National Rock Imaginary

This article examines the conditions under which rock sung in Quechua gains access to Peru’s rock mainstream, where Spanish (and, to a lesser extent, English) functions as the unmarked norm while Quechua activates expectations around authenticity and identity. Linking cultural legitimacy to programmability, it focuses on how performance and visuality structure visibility and frame linguistic difference for mainstream recognition. Through a comparative reading of Uchpa, Chintatá, El Atuq, Atuq Sisa, and Uqmare, the article traces indicators of circulation and argues that inclusion is conditional, channeling Quechua through categories that manage difference while safeguarding an urban rock canon.