Travel pilgrimages to Chile’s musical greats: Chillán
16 Feb 2012
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Delving into the personalities, stories and places of Chile's rich musical tradition - a mix of ancient Mapuche and Andean cultures, rural folk, britpop, rockabilly and Latin rock - offers a unique insight into the national culture.
Welcome to the first in a Chile.Travel series on pilgrimages to the hometowns of some of Chile's musical greats.
Chillán, cradle of the New Chilean Song
Capital of the Ñuble province, in the Biobío region of central southern Chile, Chillán is renowned as a center of folk culture, with traditional handicrafts, woodwork and clay pottery from all over the province on display in its famous Central Market.
But Ñuble is also the capital of the Nueva Canción Chilena, or New Chilean Song, a movement which sought to capture the folk songs of the Chilean countryside and fuse them with Latin American rhythms and social consciousness.
The genre was born during the social and cultural upheavals of the 60s and early 70s, when Chile's democratic socialist government was replaced by a military dictatorship, and went on to become hugely influential across Latin America.
Two of the greats of the New Chilean Song, Violeta Parra and Victor Jara, started out right here in the small towns that surround Chillán.
Violeta Parra
As a new movie biography of her life, Violeta Has Gone To Heaven, wins best international film at Sundance 2012, Violeta Parra is more famous now then ever.
But it is impossible to overstate her influence: her album Las ultimas composiciones (The Last Songs) was named by Rolling Stone magazine the number one Chilean album of all time.
Part of the famed Parra clan, her siblings included Nicanor (now one of Chile's most celebrated poets) and fellow folklorist Roberto. Her son, Ángel, and daughter, Isabel, were also important figures in Chilean folk, and the current generation of Parras continues the family's musical legacy.
Violeta was born in San Fabián de Alico, a picturesque town at the foothills of the Andes, surrounded by lakes, forests and mountains that offer plenty of great hiking - which might go some way toward explaining from where this family drew their inspiration. You can see the humble adobe house in which Violeta was born, which has been declared a national monument, at El Roble 535-531.
To get to the town, take Ruta 5 north of Chillán to San Carlos (26 km) and from there the N-31 turn-off to San Fabián de Alico (44 km).
To experience the natural beauty of the area, don't miss the nearby lagoons, hidden away in the mountains. Laguna de la Plata, or Silver Lagoon, is the closest, located around 18 km from the town. You can drive the first half of the trip, to the trail head, and then hire a horse or set out on foot.
A further 5 km down the trail is the beautiful is Laguna Añil, famed for its intense blue waters, ringed by beaches and almost completely encircled by mountains. The lagoon also has camping facilities.
To reach the lagoons, take the N31 from San Fabián de Alico to La Punilla, which ends at the trail head.
Víctor Jara
Víctor Jara was born in the sleepy town of Quiriquina to a rural working family. His humble and rustic origins would go on to be a crucial part of his songwriting, which highlights the simple beauty of country life and celebrates peasant and working-class people.
Peace and social justice were also core themes of Jara's music. Because of his political involvement and status among the working classes, he was killed in the early days of the military dictatorship, and the contrast between his brutal death and his gentle music have made him an international symbol for human rights.
Jara's album, Pongo en tus manos abiertas ("I put into your open hands") was chosen as the fifth most influential Chilean rock album by Rolling Stone.
As well as being a pioneering songwriter, Jara was a talented theater director, and his legacy is kept alive in Chillán with the Víctor Jara Cultural Artistic Center, which hosts local theater and folk music.
To reach Quiriquina itself, take the N-59-Q highway south of Chillán for 30 km. To experience the living tradition of Jara's music, travelers can also look for rural rodeos that take place every year between September and February, or some of the region's many folk and ethnic festivals, including the Carnival de Quillón, Festival de Raíces Criolla in Coihueco and Encuentro de Raíces Folclóricas in Portezuelo.
