The group was formed by students at Universidad Técnica del Estado at Santiago, Chile in 1967. In 1973 as they were on tour abroad, General Augusto Pinochet launched a coup d'etat and took power. Having heard of the numerous extra-judicial killings of many fellow artists by Chile's army, they took up residence in Italy, resulting in "the longest tour in history" for Inti-Illimani as they lived in de facto exile. They continued their efforts supporting Chilean democracy internationally; magnitizdat copies of their work continued to be widely distributed in Chile. In September 1988, days after they were no longer banned from Chile, they began touring Chile again. They helped organize the voting down of the referendum that would have re-elected Pinochet. Recently, they were actually supported by Chile as representatives of Chilean culture.
In the past the group was musically led by Horacio Salinas and politically led by Jorge Coulon. However, in 2001 there was a controversial split of the group, which started when three key members left the group (José Seves, Horacio Durán and Horacio Salinas). They were replaced by Manuel Meriño (from Entrama), Cristián González and Juan Flores. Due to the importance of departed members, many called into question the ability of the remainder to carry on the Inti-Illimani name. Meanwhile, the three departed members started their own group they call Inti-Histórico. From 2005 there are two groups:
Inti-Illimani New (Coulon brothers)
Inti-Illimani Histórico (José Seves, Horacio Durán and Horacio Salinas)
Membership
In August 1967 Inti-Illimani's earliest membership consisted of:
Horacio Durán
Max Berrú
Jorge Coulon
Luis Espinoza
Oscar Guzmán
Ciro Retamal
Pedro Yáñez
In 1968 Inti-Illimani's membership consisted of:
Horacio Salinas (Musical director and main composer)
Horacio Durán
Max Berrú
Jorge Coulon
Ernesto Perez de Arce
Current line-up of the "Inti-Illimani Nuevo":
Jorge Coulon
Christian González
Daniel Cantillana
Juan Flores
Efren Viera
Marcelo Coulon
Manuel Meriño
César Jara
Current line-up of the "Inti-Histórico":
Horacio Salinas
Horacio Durán
José Seves
Jorge Ball
Fernando Julio
Camilo Salinas
Danilo Donoso
Other members in the history of the group:
Ernesto Pérez de Arce
Homero Altamirano
José Miguel Camus
Renato Freyggang
Pedro Villagra
Canción a Víctor
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
mano de sembrador,
alma de cobre, pan y carbón,
hijo del tiempo y del sol.
Tu canto fue flor de metal
grito de multitud,
arma en el puño trabajador,
Caíste allí junto a otros mil
cuando nació el dolor,
hoz y martillo tu corazón
rojo de vida se abrió.
El pueblo así te regará
en un jardín de luz,
serás clarín de lucha y amor
¡Canto de Chile serás!
The lyrics of Inti-Illimani's "Canción a Víctor" pay tribute to the Chilean singer and songwriter Víctor Jara, who was a political activist and a prominent artist during the socialist government of Salvador Allende in the early 1970s. The song depicts Jara as a symbol of the people's struggle for justice and freedom, using metaphors that highlight his voice as a metaphor for the seeds of hope and change. The phrase "trigo y maíz era tu voz" ("your voice was wheat and corn") suggests that Jara's message was nourishing and essential, like the staple crops that sustain life.
The lyrics also portray Jara as a "hand of the sower," someone who plants the seeds of a new world, and as a "soul of copper, bread, and coal," evoking images of strength, sustenance, and fuel. Jara's voice is characterized as a "flower of metal" and a "shout of the multitude," indicating its power to inspire and unite people. His heart is described as a "scythe and hammer" that was pierced by bullets when he was killed by the military regime that overthrew Allende in 1973. However, the song predicts that Jara's legacy will live on, as he becomes a "trumpet of struggle and love" and an embodiment of the spirit of Chilean resistance.
Line by Line Meaning
Trigo y maíz era tu voz,
Your voice was like wheat and corn,
mano de sembrador,
Your voice was like the hand of a sower,
alma de cobre, pan y carbón,
Your soul was like copper, bread, and coal,
hijo del tiempo y del sol.
You were the son of time and sun.
Tu canto fue flor de metal
Your song was a metal flower,
grito de multitud,
A cry of the masses,
arma en el puño trabajador,
A weapon in the working fist,
viento del norte y del sur.
The wind of the north and south.
Caíste allí junto a otros mil
You fell there with a thousand others,
cuando nació el dolor,
When the pain was born,
hoz y martillo tu corazón
Your heart was a sickle and hammer,
rojo de vida se abrió.
Red with the life that poured out.
El pueblo así te regará
The people will water you,
en un jardín de luz,
In a garden of light,
serás clarín de lucha y amor
You will be a call to fight and love,
¡Canto de Chile serás!
You will be the song of Chile!
Contributed by Owen G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pan Makser
Trigo y maíz era tu voz,
Mano de sembrador,
Alma de cobre, pan y carbón,
Hijo del tiempo y del sol.
Tu canto fue flor de metal
Grito de multitud,
Arma en el puño trabajador,
Viento del norte y del sur.
Caíste allí junto a otros mil
Cuando nació el dolor,
Hoz y martillo tu corazón
Rojo de vida se abrió.
El pueblo así te regará
En un jardín de luz,
Serás clarín de lucha y amor
¡Canto de Chile serás!
Pan Makser
Trigo y maíz era tu voz,
Mano de sembrador,
Alma de cobre, pan y carbón,
Hijo del tiempo y del sol.
Tu canto fue flor de metal
Grito de multitud,
Arma en el puño trabajador,
Viento del norte y del sur.
Caíste allí junto a otros mil
Cuando nació el dolor,
Hoz y martillo tu corazón
Rojo de vida se abrió.
El pueblo así te regará
En un jardín de luz,
Serás clarín de lucha y amor
¡Canto de Chile serás!
G T
Es una cancion lleno de emocion che da un sentido a la vida misma,viva Chile...viva Victor Jara...Roma...
Joshua Ben Moshe
Hermoso canto :'), adoro su música, saludos desde México :'D
Nely Arriagada
Victor vive en cada corazon latino❤
Javier Palacios
que viva Victor Jara!
que vida inti!
aguante la patria socialista libre!
hoz y martillo, tu corazón <3
Valentina Locchi
Claro que la voz es de Don Horacio... Grande Inti y grande Víctor Jara...
German Bustamante
creo que la voz es del maestro Salinas. En todo caso una muy hermosa canción. Sa agradece.
Marco Snakescharmer
Meraviglia
CANAL CLASSIC
VIVA !!
Marco Carazza
Struggente ricordo