Inti-Illimani (from Quechuan inti and / Aymara illimani) are an instrumenta… Read Full Bio ↴Inti-Illimani (from Quechuan inti and / Aymara illimani) are an instrumental and vocal Latin American folk music ensemble from Chile. The group was formed in 1967 by a group of university students and it acquired widespread popularity in Chile for their song Venceremos (We shall win!) which became the anthem of the Popular Unity government of Salvador Allende. At the moment of the September 11, 1973 Chilean coup they were on tour in Europe and were unable to return to their country where their music was proscribed by the ruling military junta. In Europe their music took on a multifarious character, incorporating elements of European baroque and other traditional music forms to their rich and colourful Latin American rhythms - creating a distinctive fusion of modern world music. They are perhaps the best internationally known members of the nueva canción movement. Their name means 'Sun of the Illimani.' In Aymara Illimani is the name of a mountain in the Bolivian Andes. They influenced Yeni Türkü, a Turkish group, during their debut album, Buğdayın Türküsü (Song of Wheat) in 1979.

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

Las Siete Rejas
Inti-Illimani Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Siete rejas, siete llaves,
Siete ríos, siete mares.
Siete son los que te llevan,
Siete son los que te traen,
Siete son mis siete mares.

Que venga, que venga,
Que corra, que corra.

Mi valiente ha de volar,
Mi valiente ha de volar,
Mi valiente ha de volar.

Un valiente ya se acerca,
Un valiente ya se acerca.
Galopando siete mares
Buscando la fortaleza
Para desatar tus manos.
Siete llaves,

Siete rejas,
Tu valiente romperá.

Overall Meaning

The song Las Siete Rejas by Inti-Illimani talks about a woman who is held captive behind seven gates, and seven rivers and seven seas. The woman is waiting for her brave man to save her and set her free. The repetitive use of the “Siete son” phrase emphasizes the power of the number seven and its symbolic significance in the song.

The lyrics of the song paint a vivid image of a woman behind locked gates, waiting to be rescued. The seven locks suggest that the woman is being held in a highly secure location, perhaps a prison or a fortress. The imagery of "Siete ríos, siete mares" further reinforces the idea that the woman is isolated and unreachable. The persona is convinced that her brave man is on the way to find her and unlock the seven locks. Her optimism is palpable in the lyrics as she anticipates that her brave man is coming to free her.

The song's message is one of hope, perseverance, and optimism even in the face of extreme adversity. The lyrics are simple but very effective in conveying the message of the song. It is a reminder of the power of love, courage, and determination to overcome even the most difficult of obstacles.

Line by Line Meaning

Siete rejas, siete llaves,
There are seven gates and seven keys,

Siete ríos, siete mares.
There are seven rivers and seven seas.

Siete son los que te llevan,
Seven are the ones who take you,

Siete son los que te traen,
Seven are the ones who bring you,

Siete son mis siete mares.
Seven are my seven seas.

Que venga, que venga,
Come, come,

Que corra, que corra.
Run, run.

Mi valiente ha de volar,
My brave one must fly,

Mi valiente ha de volar.
My brave one must fly.

Un valiente ya se acerca,
A brave one is approaching,

Un valiente ya se acerca.
A brave one is approaching.