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
De mi semilla
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tiene mi niña cuando canta con el viento,
Cuando habla con mi acento.
De mi semilla, maíz viajero,
Creció sencilla y fue el carbón de su pelo
La luz en mi desvelo.
Yo le di el cielo, le di el sol de mis desiertos
Y el son de mi silencio.
Chacarera de mi niña, sigue tu vuelo en calma,
Besa la madrugada, duerme en la luna clara,
Que yo la espero en mi ventana.
Quien tiene el hilo, frágil cometa,
Mantiene en vilo su corazón sin raíces
Sobre mis cicatrices.
Del ventisquero, gigante lento,
Beber el hielo, el tesón de andar certero
La majestad del tiempo.
Hacia mi niña mi canto canta,
Mi espera, espera porque sabe que su vuelo
Germinará en mi suelo.
The song "De mi semilla" by Inti-Illimani talks about a father watching his daughter grow up and become her own person, while reflecting on the ways he has influenced her. The first verse describes how the daughter inherited her musicality from her father, and how he taught her to soar like a bird. The second verse talks about the daughter's independence, comparing her to a fragile kite that must be held onto tightly. The chorus tells the daughter to keep flying freely, and reminds her that her father is always waiting for her to return home.
The song is filled with metaphors and imagery of nature, such as references to wind, clay, corn, and ice. These elements are used to convey the idea that the daughter is a product of her environment and her father's influence, but also that she is her own unique person with her own experiences and struggles. The song's title, which translates to "From my Seed", reinforces this idea of lineage and growth.
Overall, "De mi semilla" is a poignant and bittersweet reflection on the relationship between a parent and child, and the inevitable process of letting go and watching them forge their own path in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
De la ocarina, arcilla agreste,
My little girl has the earthy sound of an ocarina, made of rough clay, when she sings with the wind and speaks in my accent.
De mi semilla, maíz viajero,
My daughter is a traveler corn from my seed, who grew up simple and black-haired, a light in my sleepless nights.
Creció sencilla y fue el carbón de su pelo
My daughter grew simply and her hair darkened like charcoal.
La luz en mi desvelo.
She became the light that kept me awake at nights.
Yo le di el vuelo que usan sus alas,
I gave her the flight she needed to soar with her wings.
Yo le di el cielo, le di el sol de mis desiertos
I gave her the sky, and the sun from my deserts.
Y el son de mi silencio.
I gave her the sound of my silence.
Chacarera de mi niña, sigue tu vuelo en calma,
My daughter's music, calm and gentle, follows her wherever she goes.
Besa la madrugada, duerme en la luna clara,
Let her kiss the early morning and sleep under the clear moon.
Que yo la espero en mi ventana.
I await her at my window.
Quien tiene el hilo, frágil cometa,
Those who have the string to their fragile kite, hold their heart without roots,
Mantiene en vilo su corazón sin raíces
keeping it in suspense without roots to hold onto, like my heart's scars.
Sobre mis cicatrices.
My scars remind me of this.
Del ventisquero, gigante lento,
From the glacier, the mighty giant, moving slow and steady.
Beber el hielo, el tesón de andar certero
Drinking the ice and the determination to walk forward with certainty.
La majestad del tiempo.
The majesty of time.
Hacia mi niña mi canto canta,
My song sings towards my daughter.
Mi espera, espera porque sabe que su vuelo
My wait is patient because I know her flight will take root in my soil.
Germinará en mi suelo.
She will grow in my land.
Contributed by Alexis F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marcelin Ortiz
De la ocarina, arcilla agreste,
Tiene mi niña cuando canta con el viento,
Cuando habla con mi acento.
De mi semilla, maíz viajero,
Creció sencilla y fue el carbón de su pelo
La luz en mi desvelo.
Yo le di el vuelo que usan sus alas,
Yo le di el cielo, le di el sol de mis desiertos
Y el son de mi silencio.
Chacarera de mi niña, sigue tu vuelo en calma,
Besa la madrugada, duerme en la luna clara,
Que yo la espero en mi ventana.
Quien tiene el hilo, frágil cometa,
Mantiene en vilo su corazón sin raíces
Sobre mis cicatrices.
jonny cien
este tema es precioso,,grande INTI ILLIMANI,,gracias por subirlo mariposilla
MarxAzul
linda letra..
geraldine fonda
para mi hermosa hija fran