ITALY: CHILEAN FOLK GROUP INTI ILLIMANI BEGIN THEIR WORLD TOUR IN ITALY WHERE THEY WERE EXILED DURING THE PINOCHET REGIME

Record ID: 389193

  • Title: ITALY: CHILEAN FOLK GROUP INTI ILLIMANI BEGIN THEIR WORLD TOUR IN ITALY WHERE THEY WERE EXILED DURING THE PINOCHET REGIME
  • Date: 29th March 2000
  • Summary: (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) INTI-ILLIMANIS MARCELO COULON SAYING: "We have been singing love songs from the very beginning. After the coup detat in Chile even love songs were taken as political because even the act of performing itself became an act of solidarity towards a people martyred by the military." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) INTI-ILLIMANIS JORGE COULON
  • Embargoed: 13th April 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: FIUGGI, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA64LCUXR9IF6YDWLONFRPNQHUT
  • Story Text: When General Augusto Pinochet seized power in Chile in 1973, the Inti-Illimani were among the large group of artists and intellectuals who were forced to flee the country.For fifteen years one of the most famous Latin American folk bands produced their music from Rome, beoming a worldwide symbol of a democratic Latin America, until they were allowed to return to Chile in 1998.Now the Inti-Illimani have chosen their country of exile, Italy, to begin their World tour.
    When General Augusto Pinochet seized power in Chile in 1973, the Inti-Illimani were among the large group of artists and intellectuals who were forced to flee the country.
    For fifteen years one of the most famous Latin American folk bands produced their music from Rome, beoming a worldwide symbol of a democratic Latin America, until they were allowed to return to Chile in 1998.
    In March 2000 the Inti-Illimani chose their country of exile, Italy, to begin their World tour designed to promote their latest work, Amar de Nuevo (Loving Again), to date released only in Chile.
    In their thirty years of music making, the Inti-Illimani have shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Miram Makeba and produced over thirty albums.
    The bands songs - inspired by Latin American indigenous culture and revolutionary movements from the sixties - brought the continents melodies and instruments to the fore-front of Europe and American music making.
    I believe our continent is extraordinarily wealthy in musical culture because African music blends with Spanish music, Portuguese music, with the music of our natives who were there before Columbus arrived the groups creative director Horacio Salinas told Reuters before their latest concert just outside of Rome.
    Little by little, (Latin American music) is growing to be more well-known.The whole idea of World Music helps to give universality to local music Salinas added, proud of having been one of the initiators of a now established movement.
    With Amar de Nuevo the groups latest album compilation, Inti-Illimani have moved more into mainstream romantic folk music, leaving behind their revolutionary past.
    The groups latest single taken from the album, La Fiesta Eres Tu (You are the party; 1998), filmed in Chiles capital Santiago, recounts a day in the life of a young and pretty widower seen through the eyes of the men who would like to console her after the loss of her husband.
    "We have been singing love songs from the very beginning," said Marcelo Coulon, one of the groups founders, rejecting criticisms that the Inti-Illimani have betrayed their political involvement for commerce.Only, after the coup detat in Chile even love songs were taken as political because the fact of performing in itself became an act of solidarity towards a people martyred by the military.he explained.
    There is nothing new about the fact that we have changed we have always been changing Jorge Coulon said.
    The musicians do not mind speaking of politics when it comes to former Chilean dictator, Pinochet.
    I believe that with Pinochets arrest in England the countrys transition has finally begun.said Marcelo Colon.
    Pinochets success in fighting extradition to Spain where a judge wanted to try him for human rights abuses, and his subsequent return to Chile less than a month ago is not seen as a defeat by the long exiled artists.
    Even if we would have liked Pinochet to end up in Spain, it seems as if the time came for Chile to show the world that it is able to deal with its history.said Jorge Coulon.
    An official report says 3,197 people were killed or disappeared during Pinochets rule in Chile.
    But for the moment, the Inti-Illimani are content to take around the world the story of their pretty widower.
    After Italy, the Amar de Nuevo tour will go on to Great Britain, France, Germany, the Neherlands, Spain, Portugal, Canada and Mexico.
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