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
Mulata
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
mulata ya sé que dise
que yo tengo la narise
como nudo de cobbata.
Y fíjate bien que tú
no eres tan adelantá
porque tu boca e bien grande
Tanto tren con tu cuerpo
tanto tren
tanto tren con tu boca
tanto tren
tanto tren con tus ojo
tanto tren.
Si tú supiera, mulata
la veddá
¡que yo con mi negra tengo
y no te quiero pa' ná!
The lyrics of Inti-Illimani's "Mulata" speak to themes of beauty standards and societal assumptions based on physical appearance. The singer addresses a woman of mixed-race heritage, or "mulata," acknowledging that he has heard rumors about his own appearance from her – that he has a nose that resembles a knot in a tie. However, he also points out that she does not necessarily meet society's expectations of beauty, with a large mouth and a "passionate," or flushed, complexion. The chorus repeats the phrase "tanto tren" or "so much train," suggesting that the woman's body, mouth, and eyes are all exaggerated or excessive in some way.
The singer then shifts focus to his own love life, asserting that he is already involved with a black woman, leaving no room for the mulata. While some may interpret this as an attempt to put the mulata in her place or claim some sort of superiority over her, it can also be seen as a way of rejecting societal norms and choosing to love someone based on their character and not their appearance.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mulata" touch on themes of discrimination based on race and physical appearance, while also celebrating the power of love to transcend societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya yo me enteré, mulata
I have heard about you, mulatta
mulata ya sé que dise
mulatta, I know what they say about you
que yo tengo la narise
that I have a big nose
como nudo de cobbata.
like a bow tie.
Y fíjate bien que tú
And look at you closely
no eres tan adelantá
you are not as clever
porque tu boca e bien grande
because your mouth is quite large
y tú pasa, colorá.
and you blush.
Tanto tren con tu cuerpo
So much noise about your body
tanto tren
so much fuss
tanto tren con tu boca
so much fuss about your mouth
tanto tren
so much fuss
tanto tren con tus ojo
so much fuss about your eyes
tanto tren.
so much fuss.
Si tú supiera, mulata
If you knew, mulatta
la veddá
the truth
¡que yo con mi negra tengo
that I have a black woman
y no te quiero pa' ná!
and I don't want anything to do with you!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AuraCenteno-yp4xu
Excelente!!.... saludos desde mi amado País, Venezuela
@ingeniero1208
Que hermosa es esta canción. Que grande son Inti Illimani!
@marialucilleroxas7914
Much, much love to Inti Illamani Historico! Brilliant!
@albertoromero3431
Wow, pero qué es esto! Gran sorpresa conocer a esta banda y esta música. Saludos desde México.
@cogollento
Uf, es una banda muy relevante de acá Chile compañero, gran historia y muchas canciones. Te recomiendo también la versión de estudio, es muy linda también.
@adalbertoduran41
Un verso de Nicolás Guillén, bellísima interpretación, enorme los arreglos
@juli9228
¡Qué hermosa canción! Gracias INTI ILLIMANI
@Drilo0o
Oyeeeeeee! parelaa! El inti illamni en sí es un patrimonio cultural chileno y latinoamericano! Sea el histórico o el sin apellido, son creadores increíbles de música y arte igual y que rico que lo sigan haciendo, y mejor aun si tienen diferentes estilos.. He visto los dos en vivo y ambos me emocionan, aunq sea de diferente forma a si que déjense de hueas y disfruten de estos videos y de esta música! Slds!
@renatoramirez1899
Por ahí alguien dijo que es una suerte que sean dos y no sólo uno
@chrisimonfernandez
qué riqueza musical este tema tocado asi !!!!!!!!!!!!! gracias por el video ! un saludo amistoso desde francia cristina