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
Vasija de barro
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
como a mis antepasados
en el vientre oscuro y fresco
de una vasija de barro.
Cuando la vida se pierda
tras una cortina de años
vivirán a flor de tiempo
The first verse of Inti-Illimani's song "Vasija de barro" speaks of the singer's desire to be buried in a clay pot, as their ancestors were. This can be seen as a connection to their cultural heritage and the traditions of their people. The singer finds comfort in the idea of being enclosed in the cool and dark belly of the pot, perhaps symbolizing a return to the earth and a sense of oneness with nature. The use of the word "quiero" (I want) highlights the singer's strong desire for this specific burial, indicating that it is an important aspect of their identity and beliefs.
The second verse speaks of the inevitability of death and the passing of time. The phrase "una cortina de años" (a curtain of years) suggests the idea of life passing by like a theatrical performance, with love and heartbreak playing a central role in the storyline. The use of the word "vivirán" (will live) suggests that these emotions and experiences will continue to exist, even after the singer's death. This could be seen as a message of hope or a way of acknowledging the importance of preserving memories and passing on stories through generations.
Overall, "Vasija de barro" can be interpreted as a tribute to the singer's cultural heritage and the cyclical nature of life and death. The song emphasizes the importance of maintaining a connection to one's roots and finding comfort in traditions, while acknowledging the inevitability of change and the passing of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo quiero que a mí me entierren
Deseo ser sepultado
como a mis antepasados
De la misma manera que mis ancestros
en el vientre oscuro y fresco
Dentro de una vasija hecha de barro
de una vasija de barro.
De la misma forma que un objeto de cerámica
Cuando la vida se pierda
Cuando la vida llegue a su fin
tras una cortina de años
Después de haber vivido muchos años
vivirán a flor de tiempo
Recordaremos todos los momentos vividos
amores y desengaños.
Tanto los momentos buenos como los malos
Contributed by Alexis Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@harveygarzon405
Desde Colombia 🇨🇴. Tengo 70 años y desde siempre conozco este tema ecuatoriano que ha hecho historia.
@albertovillamarin6947
Este es un Himno de la identidad cultural latinoamericana, nuestra raíz
@luisenriquearandaalvarez9222
La extraordinaria y bella versión de este sentido tema ecuatoriano, en la magistral interpretación de Inti Illimani. La voz prodigiosa y dulce del recordado Max Berrú, para un tema que mi padre me pidió que tocaran en su funeral. Mi padre era de Cajamarca, Perú donde adoran la música ecuatoriana.
@8695Chacana
Igualmente lo ofrende a mi padre en su funeral, un abrazo
@claudiospoblete
Que lindo recuerdo
@CalacaBirriaHiphop
INTI ILLIMANI -VIOLETA PARRA -GUAYASAMÍN-Gonzalo Benítez -VALENCIA TODOS ESTOS PERSONAJES SE RESUMEN EN UNA ORACION :UNA LATINOAMERICA UNIDA QUE TIENE EL ARTE Y LA CULTURA MÁS HERMOSA DEL MUNDO
@gianninaxoxo
La versión original, “Vasija de Barro,” letra, Jorge Carrera Andrade el cual toma inspuración al ver un cuadro de Guayasamín, Jorge Enrique Adoum, Hugo Alemán, Jaime Valencia y música, Benitez Valencia, orgullo ecuatoriano, sin desmerecer la versión de Inti lllimani. excelentes artistas todos ellos.
@Oberonjames
My father used to be in a band that played andes folk music, and they covered a lot of Inti-Illimani and this was always my favourite track. It's funny though, because when he wasn't playing with the band, he'd be blasting Alice Cooper and Alice in Chains through the house. He had some eclectic tastes in music, that's for sure.
@peppetorres9134
se han preguntado.... porque inti illimani en su repertorio tieenen cualquier cantidad de musica ecuatoriana ha diferencia de otros grupos latinoamericanos? ... por que MAX BERRU Lojano fundador de intillimani fue el nexo para que este grupo toque nuestra hermosa musica.. gracias maestro Max.....
@rodrigo.nublarte
Peppe Torres hoy ha fallecido Max Berrú. Gracias pueblo de Ecuador por regalarnos a este maestro.