Victor Jara was a Chilean songwriter, poet, teacher, theatre director and political activist. He was a central part of the Nueva Cancion movement, which regenerated Andean folk music in a new form of protest song in the sixties. This was an important element of social change in Chile with the election of Salvador Allende in 1970, which led to improvements to health and education for the Chilean people. Victor Jara was tortured and executed on September 11 in 1973 with the military coup by General Pinochet, as were many of his other countrymen who were deemed to now be enemies of the state by the new regime. On October 31st 2013, Queensland Conservatorium students celebrate the life and artistic output of Victor Jara with music and poetry from South America featuring composers such as Astor Piazzolla, Jorge More, Paulo Bellinati and Jara himself.
Programme –
Introduction by Cristiana Monique Linthwaite
Danza Gallana by Jesús Parra Bernal (Venezuela) – Guitar quintet performed by – Ian Ahles, Eleanor Bausch, William Towne, Ethan Frankel, Chris Loney
El Frutero by Cruz Filipe Iriarte (Venezuela) Guitar trio performed by – Ian Ahles, Eleanor Bausch, William Towne
Boliviana by Celso Machado (Brazil)
1st movement of Truco suite by Maximo Diego Pujol (Argentina) performed by – Eleanor Bausch (guitar), William Towne (guitar)
Poetry recited by Clare Said
Café 1930 by Astor Piazzolla (Argentina) performed by – Jo Lagerlow (flute), Ian Ahles (guitar)
Danza Brasilera by Jorge Morel (Brazil)
Jongo by Paulo Bellinati (Brazil) performed by – Duo Pelo Largo (guitar duo featuring Ian Ahles and Padraig Parkhurst)
Speech about Victor Jara by Cristiana Monique Linthwaite
Manifiesto by Victor Jara performed by – Mikaela Ward (vocal), Joel Woods (mandolin), Ian Ahles (guitar), William Towne (guitar).
Queensland Remembers Chile
This film depicts the events of the military coup against the Allende Popular Unity government in Chile in 1973. The words are from a song by Victor Jara who was brutally tortured and killed soon after the coup. President Salvador Allende was also killed along with thousands of Chileans..