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
La prisionera
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dejé la jaula abierta para que huyas.
No vayas a pensar que así me hieres
Que aquí en mi corazón no hay cosas tuyas.
Acaso un vago miedo a compasiones
Hizo que te entregara tus dos llaves
Pero sé que esta clase de emociones
No seguiré tu vuelo envenenado,
No espiaré los rumbos donde vayas,
Espero sin embargo que tus dados
Te hagan morir muy lejos de mi playa.
Adiós, querido amor equivocado,
Gracias por estos años que ha vivido,
Este vino tan áspero y amargo,
Es el recuerdo de otros ya bebidos.
No sé por qué pensaste que a mi lado
Te convertí en torcaza prisionera.
Nunca he puesto una reja en lo habitado
Ni en jaula convertí mi palomera.
No tengo cuatro látigos ni lazos,
Ni menos estacadas o tranqueras.
Tuviste en mí la sombra de otros brazos
Que alguna vez ataron tus quimeras.
Adiós, querido amor equivocado,
Gracias por estos años que ha vivido
Este vino tan áspero y amargo,
Y en el sabor de otros ya bebidos.
The song "La Prisionera" by Inti-Illimani tells the story of a woman who is seeking and demanding her freedom from a lover who has supposedly held her captive. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the lover offers the woman her freedom by leaving the cage open for her to escape. However, the lover also makes it clear that he still holds feelings for her and that she still has a place in his heart.
The second verse reveals that the lover may have been motivated by guilt or pity when he gave her the keys to her freedom, but he is convinced that he made the right decision. He acknowledges that some emotions, like pity and guilt, may not upset the peace of certain birds, metaphorically comparing her to a bird that has been set free.
In the third verse, the lover makes it clear that he will not follow her nor try to control her any longer. He hopes that the future will take her far away from him and that she will find happiness elsewhere. The final goodbye is bittersweet, as they both recognize the mistakes they made and the feelings they shared, but ultimately accept that their love was not meant to be. The song is a poetic and melancholic reflection on love, freedom, and the sacrifices we make for those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Te doy la libertad que tanto quieres,
I am giving you the freedom that you desire.
Dejé la jaula abierta para que huyas.
I have left the cage open for you to escape.
No vayas a pensar que así me hieres
Don't think that you are hurting me by leaving.
Que aquí en mi corazón no hay cosas tuyas.
There are no remnants of you in my heart.
Acaso un vago miedo a compasiones
Perhaps a vague fear of compassion
Hizo que te entregara tus dos llaves
Made me give you your two keys.
Pero sé que esta clase de emociones
But I know that this kind of emotion
No perturban la paz de ciertas aves.
Does not disturb the peace of certain birds.
No seguiré tu vuelo envenenado,
I will not follow your poisoned flight,
No espiaré los rumbos donde vayas,
I will not spy on where you go,
Espero sin embargo que tus dados
However, I hope that your dice
Te hagan morir muy lejos de mi playa.
Will make you die far away from my beach.
Adiós, querido amor equivocado,
Goodbye, dear mistaken love,
Gracias por estos años que ha vivido,
Thank you for the years we have had,
Este vino tan áspero y amargo,
This rough and bitter wine
Es el recuerdo de otros ya bebidos.
Is the memory of others already drunk.
No sé por qué pensaste que a mi lado
I don't know why you thought that by my side
Te convertí en torcaza prisionera.
I turned you into a prisoner turtledove.
Nunca he puesto una reja en lo habitado
I have never put a fence around my dwelling
Ni en jaula convertí mi palomera.
Nor did I turn my pigeon house into a cage.
No tengo cuatro látigos ni lazos,
I do not have four whips or lassos,
Ni menos estacadas o tranqueras.
Let alone stakes or gates.
Tuviste en mí la sombra de otros brazos,
You had the shadow of other arms in me,
Que alguna vez ataron tus quimeras.
That once tied up your fantasies.
Adiós, querido amor equivocado,
Goodbye, dear mistaken love,
Gracias por estos años que ha vivido
Thank you for the years we have had
Este vino tan áspero y amargo,
This rough and bitter wine,
Y en el sabor de otros ya bebidos.
And in the taste of others already drunk.
Contributed by Micah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Manuela Fernández
¡Qué dolor! ¡Qué temaaa DIOS! Adios querido amor equivocado, gracias por estos años ya vividos. Este vino tan áspero y amargo... tiene el sabor de otros... ya bebidos.
RodrigoSilvaM1975
Gran tema y gran interpretación...
Kat
Un temón esta canción wn..lastima que sea la única en buena calidad jeje pero es una canción que llega al alma...me llega profundamente la wea.
Daniel MJ
que pedaso de tema,,, cuantas veces lo he escuchado y cada vez cobra mas sentido...
Elizabeth Arriagada
Como duele.... :'(
Alejandra Ramirez
Expectacular Los inti