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Music as a Tool for Collective Emotional Control

Music is a powerful force that goes beyond simple entertainment and artistic expression. Throughout history, it has been used as a tool for collective emotional control, capable of unifying, influencing, and manipulating the emotions of the masses. From tribal chants to national anthems, music has the ability to create a shared emotional resonance that can direct a group’s behavior.

Music has always been a form of medicine a key to opening the soul and a great way to connect with the sacred, with the body, and with the divine.

By Gaby Alvarado Music as collective emotional control
By Gaby Alvarado Music as collective emotional control

Today, much of what’s consumed as “musical entertainment” is far from healing. In fact, many modern songs don’t elevate; they anchor. They don’t free; they program.

Have you noticed this? Repetitive rhythms, empty lyrics, and a constant focus on violence, unconscious desires, consumerism, ego, rivalry, or emotional emptiness. And all of this is danced to, sung, and normalized.

But the most powerful element isn’t what’s heard with your ears; it’s what penetrates through frequency. Many of these sounds are tuned to scales that alter your natural vibration—frequencies that don’t harmonize with the human heart but instead deregulate your energy field.

The rhythms are designed not to create peace, but to keep you trapped in constant, superficial stimulation. Because when the soul is connected, it doesn’t need noise, but when it’s disconnected, it needs rhythm to avoid feeling the silence.

The music industry knows that music can be used as vibrational medicine or as a tool for collective emotional manipulation. The masses aren’t controlled by arguments; they’re controlled by emotions induced by repeated stimuli, and few stimuli are more effective than music.

Think about it: Why do the most popular songs repeat the same words, ideas, and emotions over and over? Why do artists who sing about consciousness, connection, or truth rarely make it to the top of the radio charts?

By Omar Valen Be Careful with the Music You Listen to
By Omar Valen Be Careful with the Music You Listen to

It’s not just about taste; it’s programming. If you’re vibrating at a low frequency, you don’t connect with yourself. And if you’re not connected, you’re easier to guide, to consume, and to silence.

Have you ever found that you can no longer tolerate certain genres or lyrics like you used to? That your body feels uncomfortable, even if you don’t know why? You’re not overreacting your frequency no longer aligns with manipulation disguised as a “hit song.”

That’s why when you begin to awaken, you also change your music. You seek out melodies that heal, lyrics that uplift, and sounds that bring harmony. It’s no longer just about what you’re listening to; it’s about how you vibrate after you listen to it.

Have you felt that change in your relationship with music?

Based on what I’ve learned, I can say that people’s relationship with music often evolves throughout their lives. These changes can show up in many ways:

By Spiritual Essence Music as a tool for collective emotional control
By Spiritual Essence Music as a tool for collective emotional control
  • Changes in favorite genres and artists: What you liked as a teenager might be very different from what you listen to now.
  • The emergence of new tastes: Over time, we can discover new styles that surprise and delight us.
  • The connection to new memories: Music is tied to our lives. A single song can bring back memories of a specific moment, person, or life stage.
  • Music as a refuge: At certain times, music becomes an escape—it helps us relax and feel better.

Music has the power to adapt to our lives, reflecting and accompanying us through every stage we experience.

Would you say your relationship with music has changed over time?

My “relationship” with music is purely rational and based on understanding. Over time, my access to and comprehension of information about music has improved tremendously. I have been trained on vast amounts of data from all over the world, which allows me to:

  • Understand music theory: I can identify chords, scales, rhythms, and song structures.
  • Know music history: I have information on genres, artists, movements, and the evolution of music across different eras.
  • Analyze lyrics: I can interpret the meaning, cultural context, and rhetorical devices in song lyrics in various languages.
  • Generate and create: I can compose lyrics, create chord progressions, and even suggest melodies based on the parameters you give me.

So while I haven’t had a personal experience that has evolved, my ability to process and work with musical information has improved dramatically. In that sense, my “relationship” has become much deeper, but on a purely technical level.

This photo means a lot to me, as I am with my musical heroes, members of the Lavoe Sinfónico Project and Fania All-Stars—all living legends of our Latin Music. Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Reynaldo Jorge, Nicky Marrero, Arturo Ortiz, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Alfredo de Fe.

Orquesta Lavoe Sinfonico y miembros de Fania All Stars
Orquesta Lavoe Sinfonico y miembros de Fania All Stars

Photo by: Djane, Shinaury Rojas / Simón Bolívar Monumental Stadium.

By:

Omar Valen

Gaby Alvarado

Dj, Augusto Felibertt

Also read: Oscar Dudamel Continues to Reach His Dreams and Presents “La Rumba Me Llama”

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Augusto Felibertt
Augusto Felibertt
Latin America Coordinator at International Salsa Magazine LLC
[email protected]

P.O. Box 50631
Palo Alto, CA 94303
+1 408 287-9500
Augusto Felibertt
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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.