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
Volver a los 17
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Después de vivir un siglo
Es como descifrar signos
Sin ser sabio competente
Volver a ser de repente
Tan frágil como un segundo
Volver a sentir profundo
Como un niño frente a Dios
En este instante fecundo
Mi paso retrocedido
Cuando el de ustedes avanza
El arco de las alianzas
Ha penetrado en mi nido
Con todo su colorido
Se ha paseado por mis venas
Y hasta las duras cadenas
Con que nos ata el destino
Es como un diamante fino
Que alumbra mi alma serena
Se va enredando, enredando
Como en el muro la hiedra
Y va brotando, brotando
Como el musguito en la piedra
Como el musguito en la piedra
Ay sí sí sí
Lo que puede el sentimiento
No lo ha podido el saber
Ni el más claro proceder
Ni el más ancho pensamiento
Todo lo cambia el momento
Cual mago condescendiente
Nos aleja dulcemente de rencores y violencias
Sólo el amor con su ciencia,
nos vuelve tan inocentes
El amor es torbellino
De pureza original
Hasta el feroz animal
Susurra su dulce trino
Detiene a los peregrinos
Libera a los prisioneros
El amor con sus esmeros
Al viejo lo vuelve niño
Y al malo sólo el cariño
Lo vuelve puro y sincero
De par en par en la ventana
Se abrió como por encanto
Entró el amor con su manto
Como una tibia mañana
Al son de su bella Diana
Hizo brotar el jazmín
Volando cual serafín
Al cielo le puso aretes
Y mis años en diecisiete
Los convirtió el querubín
Se va enredando, enredando
Como en el muro la hiedra
Y va brotando, brotando
Como el musguito en la piedra
Como el musguito en la piedra
Ay sí, sí, sí.
The Inti-Illimani’s song Volver a los diecisiete is an emotional and nostalgic reflection on the idea of returning to one's youth. The artist suggests that after living a long and fulfilling life, one's memories and feelings are so rich and intense that they are difficult to decipher. Even if we have gained knowledge and experience throughout our lives, that newfound wisdom does not necessarily make us competent to understand the complexity of our feelings. Instead, returning to one's youth is like being fragile again, vulnerable like a second, and experiencing profound emotions similar to those of a child standing before God.
The artist is also exploring the idea of change and how it affects us. While others are progressing forward, the singer finds themselves regressing backward, and this creates a sense of tension and displacement. The use of the metaphor of the arco de las alianzas or the arch of alliances implies that others are moving forward in unity while the artist is left feeling isolated and vulnerable. However, the artist suggests that even the toughest chains of fate can be broken and that there is always hope. The image of a diamond that shines through the soul symbolizes the transformative power of love, and how it can free us from the chains of our destiny. In the end, the artist celebrates the power of love and how it can rejuvenate us, making us feel like we are seventeen again.
Line by Line Meaning
Volver a los diecisiete
Returning to being seventeen again
Después de vivir un siglo
After living for a century
Es como descifrar signos
It's like deciphering signs
Sin ser sabio competente
Without being a wise expert
Volver a ser de repente
Returning suddenly
Tan frágil como un segundo
As fragile as a second
Volver a sentir profundo
Feeling deeply again
Como un niño frente a Dios
Like a child in front of God
Eso es lo que siento yo
That's what I'm feeling right now
En este instante fecundo
In this fertile moment
Mi paso retrocedido
My step backward
Cuando el de ustedes avanza
While yours move forward
El arco de las alianzas
The arc of alliances
Ha penetrado en mi nido
Has penetrated my nest
Con todo su colorido
With all its colorfulness
Se ha paseado por mis venas
It has walked through my veins
Y hasta las duras cadenas
And even the tough chains
Con que nos ata el destino
With which fate binds us
Es como un diamante fino
It's like a fine diamond
Que alumbra mi alma serena
That illuminates my serene soul
Se va enredando, enredando
It goes entangling, entangling
Como en el muro la hiedra
Like ivy on a wall
Y va brotando, brotando
And it sprouts, sprouts
Como el musguito en la piedra
Like moss on a rock
Ay sí sí sí
Oh yes yes yes
Lo que puede el sentimiento
What feelings can do
No lo ha podido el saber
Knowledge couldn't do it
Ni el más claro proceder
Not even the clearest decision
Ni el más ancho pensamiento
Nor the widest thought
Todo lo cambia el momento
The moment changes everything
Cual mago condescendiente
Like an indulgent magician
Nos aleja dulcemente de rencores y violencias
It gently takes us away from resentments and violence
Sólo el amor con su ciencia,
Only love with its science
nos vuelve tan inocentes
Makes us so innocent
El amor es torbellino
Love is a whirlwind
De pureza original
Of original purity
Hasta el feroz animal
Even the ferocious animal
Susurra su dulce trino
Whispers its sweet tune
Detiene a los peregrinos
Stops the pilgrims
Libera a los prisioneros
Frees the prisoners
El amor con sus esmeros
With its efforts
Al viejo lo vuelve niño
Turns the old into a child
Y al malo sólo el cariño
And only love can turn the cruel good
Lo vuelve puro y sincero
Makes them pure and sincere
De par en par en la ventana
Wide open through the window
Se abrió como por encanto
It opened like magic
Entró el amor con su manto
Love entered with its cloak
Como una tibia mañana
Like a warm morning
Al son de su bella Diana
To the sound of its beautiful Diana
Hizo brotar el jazmín
Made the jasmine bloom
Volando cual serafín
Flying like a seraphim
Al cielo le puso aretes
Put earrings on the sky
Y mis años en diecisiete
And my years into seventeen
Los convirtió el querubín
The cherub turned them
Ay sí, sí, sí.
Oh yes, yes, yes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Violeta Parra Sandoval
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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?