The perfect song!

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.