Hi! I´m
going to talk about the perfect song for me. The song is really a cantata: “Cantata Santa Maria de Iquique”
by Luis Advis. Originally this cantata was to play by Quilapayun, but although
Quilapayun play to cantata yet, a lot of bands have interpreted this song.
“Cantata
Santa Maria de Iquique” relate the story of the killing in 1907 of saltpeter
miner in north of Chile. First, the cantata have a introduction and explain the
topic. Later, the cantata present the hard job by to the miner in the desert of
Atacama: the miner song while work in the mine. In the next part, a narrator explain
the first strikes, the union organization, and the decision to travel through
the desert to Iquique.
In the next
song the miners encourage their wives and they say to them that the city is
very nice. In this part it is understood that the travel was very hard. This is
my favorite part.
The
families of the miners were installed in the Santa María School, in Iquique. During
the next song the miners explain that some residents of Iquique supported them
and others not. This part is very little but is very important.
Later, a
song is a story of a miner: “something terrible will happen”. In this moment
this miner recorder all his life. Thereafter, a story narrate the conversations
between the miners and the general Roberto Silva Renard.
Later of
this story, two song talk about all those who died in the school: three thousand
six hundred persons died. Also, the song
promise the revenge. This is the climax of the all cantata.
Finally,
the song tells listeners that they should not forget the story. This part is a
invitation to fight for our rights.
Well… I love
this cantata because I think that is a very good way to communicate historical
facts, recorder the workers killing and promote the fight for our rights. I think
that the art should have always this character. I and my friends always sing
this cantata.
