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
Salake
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Como el duraznito.
Derramando hojas, salake,
Florecer bonito.
Cantar cantaremos, Salake,
Bailar bailaremos.
Al año que viene, Salake,
In Inti-Illimani's song "Salake", the lyrics express a desire to be like a "duraznito" or peach tree. The use of the metaphor shows the desire for growth, beauty, and abundance. The phrase "derramando hojas" or "spilling leaves" shows an overflow of life and energy. The chorus speaks of singing and dancing, embodying the celebration of life and happiness. The phrase "al año que viene" or "next year" implies that this cycle of growth and celebration is ongoing and will continue into the future.
The song can be interpreted as a metaphor for life's journey. Just like a peach tree, we all start small and grow from a seed. We experience seasons and cycles of growth and change. At times, we may spill some leaves or falter, but we can always come back stronger the following year. The song invites listeners to celebrate life's journey and embrace the joy and beauty that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo quisiera ser, salake,
I wish to be like the peach tree, Salake,
Como el duraznito.
spreading leaves and blossoming beautifully.
Derramando hojas, salake,
shedding leaves, Salake,
Florecer bonito.
and blooming beautifully.
Cantar cantaremos, Salake,
We will sing, Salake,
Bailar bailaremos.
we will dance.
Al año que viene, Salake,
Next year, Salake,
Nos alegraremos.
we will be joyous.
Contributed by Gabriella L. 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?