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
zamba de los humildes
Inti-Illimani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
los humildes de mis pagos,
si hay que esperar la esperanza
más vale esperar cantando.
Nacida de los boliches
donde el grito alza su llama,
su canción de largas lunas
Como un canto de la tierra
hay que cantar esta zamba,
hermana de los humildes
sembradores de esperanza,
alzada raíz de sangre
del fondo de la guitarra.
Mi pueblo la canta siempre
como si fuera una ausencia
la cara hundida en el pecho
hasta mirarse la pena.
Un corazón de camino
desde su canto regresa
a despertar el destino
que el pueblo en su pecho lleva.
The lyrics of Inti-Illimani's "Zamba de los Humildes" invoke a spirit of resilience and perseverance in the face of hardship. The song calls upon the humble people of the singer's homeland to sing a zamba, a traditional Argentinian dance, in order to wait for hope. The zamba is said to be "born" from the boliches, local bars and gathering places where people come together to sing and dance. The singer notes that the zamba's long, slow rhythm reflects the cycles of planting and watering, essential tasks for the survival of the community.
The singer encourages all people, especially those who are humble and facing hardship, to sing this zamba as a way of staying connected to the land and their community. The zamba, he says, is like a song of the earth that must be sung, especially by those who are planting seeds of hope for the future. The song encourages a connection to cultural roots and the land, recognizing that the struggles of the people are often intertwined with the fate of the earth.
Overall, "Zamba de los Humildes" urges resilience and a call to keep hope alive through song and community. It reminds us of the power of cultural heritage and our roots to support us through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Zambita para que canten
los humildes de mis pagos,
This zamba is intended for the humble people of my hometown to sing.
si hay que esperar la esperanza
más vale esperar cantando.
If we must wait for hope, it's better to wait while singing.
Nacida de los boliches
donde el grito alza su llama,
Born in the local bars where shouting raises spirits,
su canción de largas lunas
sabe la siembra y el agua.
This song of long moons understands the planting and watering of crops.
Como un canto de la tierra
hay que cantar esta zamba,
This zamba must be sung like a song of the earth,
hermana de los humildes
sembradores de esperanza,
A sister to the humble people who sow hope,
alzada raíz de sangre
del fondo de la guitarra.
Raised from the blood roots of the guitar's depths.
Mi pueblo la canta siempre
como si fuera una ausencia
My people always sing it as if it were an absence,
la cara hundida en el pecho
hasta mirarse la pena.
With their faces buried in their chests, mourning their sorrows.
Un corazón de camino
desde su canto regresa
A heart on a journey returns from its song,
a despertar el destino
que el pueblo en su pecho lleva.
To awaken the destiny that the people carry in their chests.
Contributed by Brayden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lavidaesencuentro
Humildes de Latinoamérica, uníos.
@adancastillo3444
Bravo
@cantorcito09
Zamba de los humildes (Letra: Armando Tejada Gómez - Música: Oscar Matus)