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
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
De pie cantar, que vamos a triunfar,
avanzan ya banderas de unidad
y tú vendrás marchando junto a mi
y así verás tu canto y tu bandera
al florecer. La luz de un rojo amanecer
De pie marchar, que el pueblo va a triunfar;
será mejor la vida que vendrá,
A conquistar nuestra felicidad
y en su clamor mil voces de combate se alzaran;
dirán canción de libertad.
Con decisión la patria vencerá.
Y ahora el pueblo que se alza en la lucha
con voz de gigante gritando; adelante!
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
La patria está forjando la unidad;
de norte a sur, se movilizará,
desde el salar ardiente y mineral,
al bosque austral, unidos en la lucha
y el trabajo, irán, la patria cubrirán.
Su paso ya anuncia el porvenir.
De pie cantar, que el pueblo va a triunfar.
Millones ya imponen la verdad;
de acero son, ardiente batallón,
sus manos van llevando la justicia y la razón.
Mujer, con fuego y con valor
ya estás aquí junto al trabajador.
Y ahora el pueblo que se alza en la lucha
con voz de gigante gritando; adelante!
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
The lyrics of Inti-Illimani's "El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido" (The United People Will Never Be Defeated!) convey powerful messages of unity, strength, and resilience in the face of adversity. The song speaks of the unyielding spirit of the people who are standing together, marching forward towards triumph, carrying flags of unity and singing songs of hope and freedom.
The first verse describes the flags of unity advancing towards victory with the people standing together, and the singer inviting the listener to march alongside them to witness the birth of a new era. The second verse talks about the people's determination to conquer their happiness and the thousands of voices rising in combat, singing songs of liberty.
The chorus, "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!" is repeated twice at the end of each verse, asserting the message that a united people will never be defeated, and emphasizes the power of the collective to bring about change.
In the third verse, the song highlights the mobilization of the nation, from the north to the south, and its determination to cover the land and leave its mark on history. The final verse calls out to the women of the land, calling for their support, valor, and strength, and then repeats the chorus again.
Overall, "El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido" is a powerful and uplifting song that symbolizes the strength of people coming together to fight injustice and oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!
The united people will never be defeated!
De pie cantar, que vamos a triunfar, avanzan ya banderas de unidad y tú vendrás marchando junto a mi y así verás tu canto y tu bandera al florecer.
Stand up and sing, we are going to triumph. The flags of unity are moving forward, and you will come marching beside me. Together we will see your song and your flag bloom.
La luz de un rojo amanecer anuncia ya la vida que vendrá,
The light of a red dawn already announces the life that will come.
De pie marchar, que el pueblo va a triunfar; será mejor la vida que vendrá, a conquistar nuestra felicidad y en su clamor mil voces de combate se alzaran; dirán canción de libertad. Con decisión la patria vencerá.
Marching on foot, the people will triumph; a better life will come as we conquer our happiness. In the clamor of victory, a thousand voices will rise in combat and sing a song of freedom. With determination, the homeland will overcome.
Y ahora el pueblo que se alza en la lucha con voz de gigante gritando; adelante!
And now the people who rise up in the struggle shout with the voice of a giant; forward!
La patria está forjando la unidad; de norte a sur, se movilizará, desde el salar ardiente y mineral, al bosque austral, unidos en la lucha y el trabajo, irán, la patria cubrirán. Su paso ya anuncia el porvenir.
The homeland is forging unity; from north to south, it will mobilize, from the burning and mineral salt flats to the southern forests, united in struggle and work, they will cover the homeland. Their step already announces the future.
Millones ya imponen la verdad; de acero son, ardiente batallón, sus manos van llevando la justicia y la razón, Mujer, con fuego y con valor ya estás aquí junto al trabajador.
Millions already impose the truth; they are made of steel, an ardent battalion, their hands carry justice and reason. Woman, with fire and courage, you are already here beside the worker.
Contributed by Brooklyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Raul Valenzuela
Está canción es Chilena. Pero ahora me doy cuenta que ya no la podemos retener y el Mundo la necesita
Gloria Valbuena
Si. Habla de una realidad. Hay que difundirla
Alessandra de Almeida Borjas
Linda e emocionante. Que a Revolução Proletária um dia aconteça e que o povo descubra que dentro do sistema de divisão de classes, nunca seremos livres.
Hilton Rosas Santana
és una cancion de todo El Pueblo pobre de latinoamérica!
Ziyi Wei
I am a Chinese international student in the US, also a member of the Democratic Socialist of America. Every time this song comes on, I can't stop crying. Brave people died in the way of revolution, and I hope there will be one day when people not only in Chile🇨🇱 but also in Latino America can enjoy happiness as a human right, just like Salvador Allende said.
alfajororeo
Te mando un abrazo♥️
Елена Угольникова
Такие не умтрают. Не плачь.
Mert Oruntak
In the hope of revolution all around the world! Yaşasın Devrim!
Marco Acuñq
P1
Ñ
Johnny Mercado Soto
Es un himno que fortalece a los países sudamericanos para que no haya rivalidad entre nosotros, bonita letra, Gracias hermanos Chilenos por esta joya musical. Saludos desde el Callao-Perú.