Ouilapayun practiced musical witchcraft against the junta at Tuesday s benefit concert in
tribute to Latin American folkstnger Victor Jara - audience-participation witchcraft that has
its roots in Afro-Cuban folklore. The group wanted to write a song about the military
government, says Willy Oddo, but one with a sense of humor. "The joke is a weapon
against the coup," he says. The Ballroom was more than sold out - people stood in the
aisles, singing along and clapping to the jubilant rhythyms of traditional and contempor
ary Chilean folk songs. American actress Tiffany Bolling, jazz singer Josh White, Jr. and
human rights activist Ava Pauling took the stage at various times. Quilapayun and Joan
Jara are making a 14-city tour, to end at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
New York City with Peter, Paul and Mary Since the 1973 coup, Quilapayun has been on
an extended international tour. Their music, as are all the songs from the New Chilean
Song Movement, is banned from the country. The seven-member group was on a
European tour when Allende's government was overthrown, and unlike Vicor Jara, they
escaped execution.
Chilean exiles raise voices for freedom
Stories by
MELODY WARD
Of the Emerald
Victor Jara has become a symbol for the struggle,
culture and hope of the Chilean people, says Quilapayun
member Rudolfo Parada.
“This is a very important tour for us," he says. “Every
concert is an image of Chilean culture today."
The tour grew out of similar European concert tributes
to Victor Jara, says his widow, Joan. “It's a development of
this worldwide idea of using Victor as a symbol. The idea
was accepted in a very immediate way by American ar
tists,” she observes.
“People in this country (the United States) need to be
continuously reminded and informed about what’s going on
in Chile. I believe people have begun to feel this more as a
domestic problem.”
As a developing country, Chile is ready to join the
“concert of nations” Parada says. We have a voice to give
to the world, but to give that voice we need to be free.”
The New Chilean Song Movement, for which
Quilapayun was a primary force, has become identified
with resistance to foreign domination, he explains. After the
military junta banned use of traditional Latin American folk
music instruments, he says, Chilean musicians adapted
them for performances of baroque music.
“It was hard for the junta to forbid Back and Vivaldi's
music,” Parada says, explaining that use of the instruments
for classical performances retains cultural continuity with
the movement before the coup, providing a “new lan
guage” for the same kind of expression.
"They can't speak about it (the repression) directly.
But human rights and historic themes make an indirect
reference," Oddo says. At a recent Chilean music festival,
the stage was decorated with a large painting of Victor
Jara's face, unidentified as such. “It was a message to the
people — it was recognized," Parada says.
Patchwork embroideries depicting the working class
daily life have replaced the colorful murals that splashed
along as part of the cultural expression under Allende city
walls, Joan Jara says. “These patchworks have gone all
over the world as messages from the women in Chile."
The military junta permits art that addresses patriotic
themes, adds Quilapayun member Willy Oddo. "So
songwriters have picked up the heroes who were fighting
against Spain for liberty,” he says. “You cannot censure a
song that has been made for a George Washington.’
The message, of fighting against a form of tyranny,
speaks through patriotic and baroque veils, Parada ex
plains.
Another quiet demonstration against the junta came in
the form of the cueca, Chile s national dance. "It is a dance
between a man and a woman,” Jara says "The wives of
the disappeared danced it by themselves, with a light to
represent their husbands.”
Unlike Iran, Chile has no single leader outside the
country to spark a unified movement of Chilean citizens.
“Our Khomeini is the international solidarity move
ment, which is very strong all over the world," Parada says.
"This mass force is ours.
“It’s true that we don't have a Khomeini, but you know
that 10 percent of the Chilean people live abroad (since the
coup.)"
Oddo says Khomeini was not the single agent unifying
the Iranian people. "Our Islam is the consciousness in our
history of the struggle of the working class — the habit of
democracy in Chile,” he says. "This movement inside the
country is the most decisive thing.”
“We don't forget the people who have been killed by
the junta, but our spirit is that we are full of hope,” Parada
says. "What we expect (from the concerts) is to maintain
always alive the spirit of Chile. The interest of American
artists to show together with us this life and work of Victor
Jara keeps the eyes of this country on the flight to be
liberated."
Willy Odo and Rudolfo Parada
Victor Jaras singing survives,
his life still echoes his ideals
Though Victor Jara is an inter
nationally known folksinger and
his impact in Chile is similar to that
of Woody Guthrie in the United
States, he was not a trained musi
cian. Folksinging was something
he picked up from his folksinging
mother at an early age, says his
widow, Joan Jara.
And though his name is most
often linked with the Chilean New
Song Movement, he was also a
respected producer in theater and
a drama professor at the Univer
sity of Chile.
‘‘It was very unusual for some
one from his background to make
that step to the university,” says
Joan Jara. “It was a very unlikely
chance. After his mother died, a
priest took Victor under his wing.”
After receiving a seminary edu
cation, Victor Jara was accepted
by the University of Chile drama
school and graduated as a pro
ducer.
“Theater in Chile was fairly elite
and very much oriented toward
Europe,” Joan Jara says. ‘‘Victor
was one of the young directors
who started producing Chilean
plays.
“Folk expression was a very
personal thing, yet at the same
time he was a professional pro
ducer. But in 1969, he left the the
ater. At that given moment it was
more important to be singing."
On the day of the military over
throw of Chilean Pres. Salvadore
Allende’s government, Victor Jara
was scheduled to sing at the
Technical University in Santiago.
He had been taking his music di
rectly to miners, factory workers,
(Continued on Page 7A)
My guitar is not for the rich
nor for those who conspire with
them
my song is of the scaffolding
we are building to reach the
stars.
For a song has a meaning
when it beats strong in the
veins
of a man who will die singing
truthfully singing real songs.
My song is not for fleeting
praise
nor to gain foreign fame
it is for this narrow country
to the very depths of the earth.
There where everything comes
to rest
and where everything begins
songs which has been a brave
song
will be forever new.
Victor Jara
from the song Manifesto''