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
Retrato
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
corazón en agraz
y su boca locuaz
como un viento fluvial.
La corriente total
de su sangre en acción
la arrastraba en turbión
No fue extraña al telar,
por la usina pasó,
a la greda volvió,
regresó de la mar
y a mi lado durmió.
Germinó con aquel
resplandor maternal
que la hacía panal
y la henchía de ser.
Y aprendió a comprender
y comprendió al pensar
y pensó al militar
y militó al crecer.
No fue extraña al telar,
por la usina pasó,
a la greda volvió,
regresó de la mar
y a mi lado soñó.
Cuando ardió la ciudad,
cuando el tanque arrasó
y su pueblo cayó
traicionado otra vez
la vi mucho a través
de los meses actuar,
trabajar, ayudar,
desgarrarse los pies...
No fue extraña al telar
por la usina pasó,
a la greda volvió,
regresó de la mar
y... desapareció.
The song "Retrato" by Inti-Illimani is a tribute to a woman who lived through turbulent times. The lyrics describe the woman's personality and her life's journey. The first stanza depicts her heart as wide open, but also sour, and her mouth as chatty like the flow of a river. She had a conviction that was robust and ambitious, and her blood flowed with passion. The second stanza speaks about her various experiences that shaped her into who she was. She underwent hardships and trials, including working at a factory, returning to earth after being at sea, but ultimately seeks comfort by lying next to the singer.
The third paragraph describes her growth and transformation. She learned how to understand the world around her and became more thoughtful, which led her to join the military. She became an active participant in the city and was willing to do whatever it took, including sacrificing her own wellbeing, to help the people around her. However, despite her tireless efforts, she eventually disappeared without a trace, leaving the singer to wonder where she went.
Inti-Illimani created "Retrato" in honor of those who have been forgotten in the history books. The lyrics capture the undying spirit of someone who went through hardships, but still maintained a sense of hope and passion for life. The song serves as a reminder of the resilience of people, even in the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
De amplia miel era su corazón en agraz
Her heart was as sweet and pure as honey, still unripened.
y su boca locuaz como un viento fluvial.
Her mouth was as expressive as a windy river.
La corriente total de su sangre en acción
Her entire bloodline was marked with proactive energy.
la arrastraba en turbión, convencido y caudal.
Her passionate and uncontainable nature pushed her forward, unwavering.
No fue extraña al telar, por la usina pasó, a la greda volvió, regresó de la mar y a mi lado durmió.
She was no stranger to hard work, she worked in the factory, went back to pottery, returned from the sea and slept by my side.
Germinó con aquel resplandor maternal que la hacía panal y la henchía de ser.
She was born with a maternal glow that made her full of life and soul.
Y aprendió a comprender y comprendió al pensar y pensó al militar y militó al crecer.
She learned to understand, thought deeply and joined the military to fight for what she believed in.
Cuando ardió la ciudad, cuando el tanque arrasó y su pueblo cayó traicionado otra vez la vi mucho a través de los meses actuar, trabajar, ayudar, desgarrarse los pies...
When the city burned, tanks destroyed everything and her people were betrayed, I saw her work tirelessly, suffer physically and help those in need for months on end.
No fue extraña al telar, por la usina pasó, a la greda volvió, regresó de la mar y... desapareció.
She was no stranger to change, she worked in the factory, went back to pottery, returned from the sea and... disappeared.
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Christian García
Fuente de Inspiración musical y literaria, esta canción es tan Poco Conocida pero los que la hemos escuchado siempre la tenemos como referencia entre tantas de Inti Illimani, Simplemente Encantadora.
Marco Castro
Conmovedora melodía y letra. Hermosa por donde se le perciba. Es de las pocas canciones de los Inti Illimani donde utilizan el recurso de la subida de media tono, la cual es muy recurrida en las baladas y en la música comercial, pero aquí fue todo un acierto.
crizz yeah
Una verdadera obra de arte esta canción, me encanta este grupo...desearía que estuvieran mas seguido en México :D <3
Jorge Alfonso Lay Peñailillo
Salinas y Manns .. cuanta inspiración y talento nos han regalado!!!!
René Agudelo Pinzón
Cómo se hace para crear algo tan maravilloso... me inspira y me derrumba a la vez.
Claudio Sagredo
QUE COSA TAN INCREIBLE, SE ME SALEN LAS LÁGRIMAS COÑO
Jean-Pierre Delorraine
Así es la realidad hermano. Un abrazo cordial desde acá.
David De Santiago
Hermoso tema
Marce Franco
excelente esta versión, pero la de Mercedes Sosa es sublime!!!!!!!
Italo Berríos
La de Mercedes Sosa es una versión. La original es ésta