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
Soldado Revolucionario
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
soy de aquellos de caballería
y si muere mi cuaco en combate
pos me paso pa' la infantería.
Con mis cuatro cananas terciadas
bien repletas de balas sedientas
cuando estamos en pleno combate
Si me toca morir en las filas
pos pa' que he de fijarme en la vida,
mis haberes yo siempre los gasto
con alguna de mis consentidas.
¡Ay, chaparra! si ves que me matan
tú te sigues en los cocolazos,
no más no hagas mi tumba muy honda
pa' que yo siga oyendo balazos.
Ya se escucha sonar la metralla,
ya el clarín toca fuego graneado,
ahora o nunca, muchachos arriba,
a acabar a estos hijos del diablo.
Ya con esta me voy despidiendo,
ya me voy de revolucionario,
si Dios quiere que vuelva, pos vuelvo
si no, rezan por mí un novenario.
The lyrics to Inti-Illimani's song Soldado Revolucionario speaks about a revolutionary soldier, who proudly states his identity as being from the cavalry. He sings about his willingness to switch to the infantry if his horse dies in battle. The soldier describes his weaponry as being fully loaded and eagerly describes his enjoyment of firing his gun in combat. He then continues to say that if he dies in combat, he will not worry about life, but instead will spend all of his money on his loved ones. He ends the song on a hopeful note, stating that if he returns, he will do so as a revolutionary soldier. However, if he doesn't, he asks that his fellow soldiers pray for him.
The song's lyrics shed light on the life of a revolutionary soldier who is ready to fight and sacrifice his life for a cause he believes in. The cavalier tone of the song seems to indicate that the soldier is not afraid of death and passionately supports the revolutionary cause. The song also highlights the duality of the soldier's life, where he balances his duties as a soldier with his personal life, suggesting that he is equally dedicated to his loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Soy soldado revolucionario,
I am a revolutionary soldier,
soy de aquellos de caballería
I am one of those cavalrymen,
y si muere mi cuaco en combate
and if my horse dies in battle,
pos me paso pa' la infantería.
then I switch to the infantry.
Con mis cuatro cananas terciadas
With my four bandoliers strapped across me,
bien repletas de balas sedientas
filled with thirsty bullets,
cuando estamos en pleno combate
when we are in the heat of combat,
le doy gusto a mi buen treinta-treinta.
I give my trusty thirty-thirty a workout.
Si me toca morir en las filas
If I am to die in the ranks,
pos pa' que he de fijarme en la vida,
then why should I worry about life,
mis haberes yo siempre los gasto
I always spend my belongings
con alguna de mis consentidas.
on one of my sweethearts.
¡Ay, chaparra! si ves que me matan
Oh, lover! if you see that they kill me,
tú te sigues en los cocolazos,
you keep drinking those cocolazos (mixed drinks),
no más no hagas mi tumba muy honda
just don't dig my grave too deep,
pa' que yo siga oyendo balazos.
so I can keep hearing the bullets.
Ya se escucha sonar la metralla,
Now we can hear the shelling,
ya el clarín toca fuego graneado,
already the bugle calls for heavy fire,
ahora o nunca, muchachos arriba,
now or never, boys, up and at 'em,
a acabar a estos hijos del diablo.
let's finish off these sons of the devil.
Ya con esta me voy despidiendo,
Now with this, I say my goodbye,
ya me voy de revolucionario,
Now I leave as a revolutionary,
si Dios quiere que vuelva, pos vuelvo
If God wills it, I'll come back,
si no, rezan por mí un novenario.
if not, pray a novena for me.
Contributed by Thomas M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miguel Cornejo MCM
Rolando un grande entre los grande,de Chile y latinoamerica. Tu.Tu voz nunca morirá, siempre estará en los corazones de los que aman este Chile.
Marianela Monroy
Grande Rolando alarcon pocos le cantan al pueblo
Panfilo Gutierez
Así es mi amigo tengo un amigo en Valparaíso chile que se apellida Cornejo bueno buenas noches
Anahí Echazarreta
Maravillosas las canciones de los pueblos español y mejicano; reflejan la larga e interminable lucha de los pueblos por su dignidad...Gracias Stanislav Palekha por subirla; mi madre tenía este mismo disco, lo sabía de memoria, lo amaba; volverlo a escuchar es increíble, gracias mil, un gran abrazo desde Argentina!!!
omar fuentealba
@Panfilo Gutierez Te apoyo en tu comentario y tus buenos deseos hacia Palito Ortega, porque me trae puros recuerdos cuando estaba cabro chico, porque vi peliculas de el......Saludos desde Lota Chile.....
Panfilo Gutierez
Buenas noches no sé si palito Ortega viva en Argentina o no pero si lo ve dígale que extrañamos que ya no compone canciones y ya no canta nada nuevo sabemos que se dedicó a la carrera de empresario buena suerte en todo lo que haga
Kafulcura
Toda la fuerza interpretativa de Nuestro Rolando Alarcón ... Viva la lucha de los Pueblos sobre la Tierra !
angelica mendoza
@francisco sciarrillo totalmente de acuerdo Hermano Kalfucura
francisco sciarrillo
VIVA,BIEN KALFUCURA
Balduino diaz cubillos
VIVA Rolando Alarcon ,estamos en deuda con el, necesitamos hacerle un homenaje, vamos que se puede