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 siete leguas
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
que Villa más estimaba.
Cuando oía silbar los trenes
se paraba y relinchaba.
En la estación de Hirajuato
cantaban los horizontes,
allí combatió formal
Oye tú Francisco Villa
que dice tu corazón.
Ya no te acuerdas, valiente,
cuando tomaste a Torreón,
ya no te acuerdas valiente
que atacaste a Paredón.
Como a las tres de la tarde
silbó la locomotora.
¡Arriba Villa, muchachos,
suban la ametralladora!
Adiós torres de Chihuahua,
adiós torres de Pantera.
Ya vino Francisco Villa
a quitarles la frontera,
ya llegó Francisco Villa
a devolver las fronteras.
The song "El siete leguas" by Inti-Illimani is a tribute to Francisco Villa, a legendary figure in the history of Mexico. Villa was a revolutionary leader who fought for the rights of the common people against the wealthy landowners and the government, and became known for his military prowess and charisma. The song recounts some events from Villa's life, particularly his use of a horse named Siete Leguas, which he valued greatly and who became a symbol of his bravery and loyalty.
In the lyrics, Siete Leguas is described as a strong and proud horse that would stop and neigh whenever it heard the sound of a train. This detail highlights Villa's deep connection to his horse and his ability to sense danger and be alert to his surroundings. The song also references a battle that Villa fought in Hirajuato against the Brigada Bracamonte, which was a pivotal moment in his military career. The lyrics express admiration for Villa's courage and legacy, as well as his role in fighting for the people and defending the country's borders.
Overall, the song reflects the importance of Villa and his legacy in Mexican history and culture, particularly as a symbol of resistance and pride. Through the metaphor of Siete Leguas, the song highlights Villa's connection to his land and his people, and his dedication to fighting for justice and dignity.
Line by Line Meaning
Siete Leguas el caballo
que Villa más estimaba.
Siete Leguas, the horse that Villa cherished the most.
Cuando oía silbar los trenes
se paraba y relinchaba.
Whenever he heard the trains whistle, he would stop and whinny.
En la estación de Hirajuato
cantaban los horizontes,
allí combatió formal
la Brigada Bracamonte.
At the Hirajuato station, the horizons sang, and the Bracamonte Brigade fought there formally.
Oye tú Francisco Villa
que dice tu corazón.
Ya no te acuerdas, valiente,
cuando tomaste a Torreón,
ya no te acuerdas valiente
que atacaste a Paredón.
Listen, Francisco Villa, what does your heart say? Do you not remember when you took Torreon and attacked Paredon, brave warrior?
Como a las tres de la tarde
silbó la locomotora.
¡Arriba Villa, muchachos,
suban la ametralladora!
Around three in the afternoon, the locomotive whistled. Up, Villa and boys, bring up the machine gun!
Adiós torres de Chihuahua,
adiós torres de Pantera.
Ya vino Francisco Villa
a quitarles la frontera,
ya llegó Francisco Villa
a devolver las fronteras.
Farewell, Chihuahua towers, farewell, Pantera towers. Francisco Villa has come to take their borders away, and he returned to restore the borders.
Contributed by Chase W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fanny
on Hermanochay
Hola, mi padre tenia un grupo de musica andina y cantaba esta cancion. Mi padre hoy ya no está y me hubiera gustado entender la letra, no encuentro traducción por ningún lado, alguien sabe la traducción?