Antonia Martínez (Song for Antonia Martínez)

Annotation — Kent / Jackson State Songs

The Puerto Rican song "Antonia Martinez (Song for Antonia Martinez)" (Paredon Records # P-1040), told the story of a demonstrator killed by the National Guard at a Puerto Rican demonstration against the war in Vietnam. The booklet of the record described the incident, and noted that it received little attention, compared the the Kent State killings on 4 May 1970, similar to the lack awareness around the killing of two African-American at Jackson State, thus suggesting a degree of prejudice surrounding minorities and people of colour.. The booklet said:"Antonia Martinez, a sixteen year old girl, was killed randomly in 1970 by a U.S. National Guardsman during their student strike at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, San Juan. She was attending a demonstration against the war in Vietnam, the drafting of young Puerto Rican men into the U.S. armed forces, and the presence of ROTC on the campuses. Written for the first anniversary of her death, this song demonstrates the shock and anger of the masses at this criminal outrage, and recaptures the historical importance of that moment of the struggle. It is interesting to note that Antonia's murder, along with numerous other incidents involving the killing of black and other minority students during the protest against the war in Vietnam, went relatively unnoticed, whereas the cold-blooded killings of four white students at Kent State during the same period were brought to the attention of the entire world through the a tremendous media barrage".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Kent / Jackson State Songs

The Puerto Rican song "Antonia Martinez (Song for Antonia Martinez)" (Paredon Records # P-1040), told the story of a demonstrator killed by the National Guard at a Puerto Rican demonstration against the war in Vietnam. The booklet of the record described the incident, and noted that it received little attention, compared the the Kent State killings on 4 May 1970, similar to the lack awareness around the killing of two African-American at Jackson State, thus suggesting a degree of prejudice surrounding minorities and people of colour. The booklet said: "Antonia Martinez, a sixteen year old girl, was killed randomly in 1970 by a U.S. National Guardsman during their student strike at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, San Juan. She was attending a demonstration against the war in Vietnam, the drafting of young Puerto Rican men into the U.S. armed forces, and the presence of ROTC on the campuses. Written for the first anniversary of her death, this song demonstrates the shock and anger of the masses at this criminal outrage, and recaptures the historical importance of that moment of the struggle. It is interesting to note that Antonia's murder, along with numerous other incidents involving the killing of black and other minority students during the protest against the war in Vietnam, went relatively unnoticed, whereas the cold-blooded killings of four white students at Kent State during the same period were brought to the attention of the entire world through the a tremendous media barrage".1Sources1folkways-media.si.edu: Liner notes (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Puerto Rican Songs

The Puerto Rican song "Antonia Martinez (Song for Antonia Martinez)" (Paredon Records # P-1040), told the story of a demonstrator killed by the National Guard at a Puerto Rican demonstration against the war in Vietnam. The booklet of the record described the incident, and noted that it received little attention, compared the the Kent State killings on 4 May 1970, similar to the lack awareness around the killing of two African-American at Jackson State, thus suggesting a degree of prejudice surrounding minorities and people of colour.. The booklet said:"Antonia Martinez, a sixteen year old girl, was killed randomly in 1970 by a U.S. National Guardsman during their student strike at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, San Juan. She was attending a demonstration against the war in Vietnam, the drafting of young Puerto Rican men into the U.S. armed forces, and the presence of ROTC on the campuses. Written for the first anniversary of her death, this song demonstrates the shock and anger of the masses at this criminal outrage, and recaptures the historical importance of that moment of the struggle. It is interesting to note that Antonia's murder, along with numerous other incidents involving the killing of black and other minority students during the protest against the war in Vietnam, went relatively unnoticed, whereas the cold-blooded killings of four white students at Kent State during the same period were brought to the attention of the entire world through the a tremendous media barrage".1Sources1folkways-media.si.edu: Liner notes (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I remember the fourth of March / With agony and sadness, / The day Antonia died, / Victim of that savage blow. / Wiped out by a single bullet / That ended her destiny, / Death overcame her / At the hands of a criminal, / In a brutal manner, / Victim of a murderer. / The people crowded around, / Full of sadness, / To look on in pain / As her body bled. / Her life escaped, / Her heart no longer beat. / She departed for another world, / That innocent young woman, / Villainously assassinated / By a foolish policeman. / And at this humiliating outrage, / The whole people mournfully cried. / And seeing her that way, / Their hate and anger was awakened. / Blood stained her dress, / The smell of blood was in the air, / All smiles were clouded, / All hearts lamented. / More shots could be heard / As Antonia lay there dying. / But that is not the worst; / People, I'll tell you this, / The policeman got away / From the murder, absolved. / The people tremble because of this, / And their hearts bleed, / And they make prayers / For her immaculate soul. / Antonia has been avenged. / Long live the revolution! __________ Spanish: Recuerdo el cuatro de Marzo / Con tristeza y agonía, / Cuando Antonia se moría / Víctima de aquel zarpazo. / Fulminada de un balazo / Que así tronchó su destino, / La muerte le sobrevino / De manos de un criminal, / De una manera brutal / Víctima de un asesino. / La gente se aglomeraba, / Toda de tristeza llena, / A contemplarla con pena / Mientras su…

Notes

Antonia Martínez, 16, was shot dead by a National Guardsman on 4 March 1970 during the student strike at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, at a demonstration against the war, the draft and ROTC. Paredon P-1040, "Puerto Rico: Como el filo del machete / Like the Edge of the Machete: Songs of the Struggle for Puerto Rican Independence", sung by Andrés Jiménez, © 1978 Paredon Records, Box 889, Brooklyn, NY 11202; Side 2, Band 1: "Antonia Martinez" – punto Fajardeño (4:10); words and music by Juan de Mata and Andrés Jiménez. The booklet says the song was written for the first anniversary of her death. [From the record sleeve and booklet]

About the artist

Andrés Jiménez - born 3 July 1947, Orocovis, Puerto Rico. Drafted and trained at Fort Hood, Texas; studied at the University of Puerto Rico, San Juan.

Themes

Demonstration · Draft · National Guard · Police Brutality · Military

In collections

Draft Songs · Kent / Jackson State Songs · Puerto Rican Songs · US Military & Veteran Songs