Illapu was exiled due to their very liberal viewpoints during the right-wing dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, and returned to Chile in 1988. Their return was captured in the 1989 album `En Vivo: Parque La Bandera', which was a recording of their returning concert.
During their exile from Chile, they spent time in Europe in general and France in particular, where they gained a good amount of fame, as with other similar groups such as Inti Illimani and Los Calchakis.
Illapu comes from the Quechua word for "Lightning Bolt" (Quechua being the language of the Incan empire and still spoken by many Native American groups in South America).
Carnaval
Illapu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Indio toca ya tu quena y olvida asÌ tus pesares
Hoy es tu dÌa de fiestas, hoy por ti sonreir·s
El abandono del hombre con la aloja olvidaras.
De lejos se oyen las voces, la pampa danzando esta
Es que en los pueblos del norte ha empezado el carnaval
Ya se escuchan los sicuris, las cajas y las tarqueadas
Ha muerto el carnaval y lo llevan a enterrar
A esperar otro aÒo m·s, para volverse a alegrar
De nuevo rostros sombrÌos, las indias a espalda el crÌo
Cada una con sus penas con su vida y con sus lÌos
The lyrics of Carnaval by Illapu are an ode to the people and traditions of northern Chile. The song begins with a call to the indigenous people, reminding them of the beauty and richness of their land, and encouraging them to play their flute and forget their sorrows. The verse goes on to state that today is a day of celebration, and that they will forget the abandonment of man and the aloe, a plant widely used for medicinal purposes.
The next verse of the song describes the festivities of the carnival, and how the sounds of the music and dances can be heard from afar. The lyrics emphasize the importance of the traditional instruments, such as the sicuris, a type of panpipe, and the cajas, a kind of drum. The verse also hints at the excessive drinking and reckless abandon that takes place during the carnival.
The final verse of the song reflects on the end of the carnival, and how the people must go back to their daily lives, with their own problems and struggles. The song highlights the contrast between the joy and freedom of the carnival, and the hardships of everyday life. Overall, Carnaval is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the people of northern Chile.
Line by Line Meaning
Evocando tus quebradas, evocando tus salares
Remembering your valleys, remembering your salt flats
Indio toca ya tu quena y olvida asÌ tus pesares
Native man, play your quena and forget your troubles
Hoy es tu dÌa de fiestas, hoy por ti sonreir·s
Today is your day of celebration, today you will smile
El abandono del hombre con la aloja olvidaras.
You will forget about man's abandonment with the aloja
De lejos se oyen las voces, la pampa danzando esta
Voices are heard from afar, the pampa is dancing
Es que en los pueblos del norte ha empezado el carnaval
The carnival has begun in the northern towns
Ya se escuchan los sicuris, las cajas y las tarqueadas
The sicuris, cajas, and tarqueadas can already be heard
El indio esta borracho para Èl ya no existe nada.
The native is drunk, nothing else exists for him
Ha muerto el carnaval y lo llevan a enterrar
The carnival has died and is being buried
A esperar otro aÒo m·s, para volverse a alegrar
Waiting for another year to be happy again
De nuevo rostros sombrÌos, las indias a espalda el crÌo
Again, there are gloomy faces, mothers with their children on their backs
Cada una con sus penas con su vida y con sus lÌos
Each one with their troubles, with their life and with their problems
Contributed by Ryan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sebastián Caballero
Gran melodía realmente es un buen viaje con illapu
Francisca Diaz lemui
Buen tema
yamil benavides
muy bueno el tema no hay nada mejor que una buena musica
Orlando Manuel Molina Ocampo
9[9l
catoniano cronico
joooder temazooo
Cristina Arzate
Hay viene el carnaval
HANS BUSTOS
Alguien sabe los instrumentos
JP agro
En esa grabación estaba José Miguel Márquez??
JP agro
Al parecer si se escucha su voz y si porque fue uno de los fundadores del grupo Illapu.
Konny Nancy Ticona Quispe
tarqueada si señor wash eis wiskiti wayy