As social beings, individuals are not merely bearers of culture but active creators of it. Since no life exists in a vacuum, each biography serves as a concrete case study of how society functions in practice—shaped by, and in turn shaping, its surrounding structures and conflicts. This makes life narratives powerful tools for constructing alternative histories that focus on resistance, denounce violence, and celebrate the struggle for freedom. This course employs the life trajectories of dissident musicians to deconstruct hegemonic historical narratives. Through case studies ranging from Jazz during U.S. racial segregation and Nueva Canción under South American dictatorships to the contemporary realities of "Funk Carioca" and Reggaeton, we will explore how musical practice illuminates struggles for freedom, exposes structures of violence, and asserts creative agency."