Quilapayún is the great songwriter and folk group from Chile. The group was founded in 1965 by Julio Numhauser, Eduardo and Julio Carrasco: for that the name of the group: Quilapayún, that means "three beards" ("quila"= three; "payún"= beard) on mapuche’s language. The group was one of the standards of the Nueva Canción Chilena, under the direction of great Víctor Jara. On the group there were many members, as Patricio Castillo (another great songwriter from Chile). Some of their records are Quilapayún (1965), Por Vietnam -For Vietnam- (1968), Cantata de Santa María de Iquique -Ballad of Saint Mary of Iquique- (1970, one of their best), Basta -Enough! (1969) or El pueblo unido jamás será vencido (The people united will never be defeated) (1975) and many others, because the group is still in active. In 1973, standing in Paris, Pinochet’s bloody coup d’etat happens, so they, members and suporters of Salvador Allende’s Unidad Popular (People Union), were forced to a large exile. Precisely, on the first years of the exile, they recorded, with Segio Ortega’s music, this song.
This song is an homage to the President of Chile Salvador Allende, killed savagely by the Pinochet’s soldiers during his coup d’etat, because he wanted a Chile in which all people could have the same oportunities:
Compañero presidente
Por tu vida cantaremos
por tu muerte una canción
cantaremos por tu sangre
Compañero, Salvador.
Por tu vida Presidente
por tu muerte Compañero
nos dejaste tus banderas
Salvador de los obreros
Por las amplias alamedas
Compañero Presidente
volverá a marchar el pueblo
con su grito combatiente.
Por tu vida lucharemos
por tu muerte con valor
lucharemos por tu ejemplo
compañero, Salvador.
Que terminen los martirios
de tu tierra traicionada
que renazcan las espigas
de la patria liberada
La unidad del pueblo entero
es la fuerza libertaria
cumpliremos tu palabra
Salvador de la victoria
Vinieron los soldados
muerte en la población
se llevan al obrero
lo meten en prisión
Todos los campesinos
bajo el yugo del patrón
y los trabajadores
todos al paredón
El pan arrebatado
miseria y destrucción,
hambre, tortura, y grillos,
armas de la opresión
Contra el pueblo chileno
se ha alzado la traición
pero la venceremos
no habrá resignación.
En el alma minera
nace la insurrección
se alza su puño altivo
contra la represión
Por Chile venceremos
por su liberación
por una nueva patria
por la revolución.
Companion President
For your life we shall sing/ for your death a song/ we shall sing for your blood/ companion, Savador.// For your life president/ for your death companion/ you left us your flags/ Saviour (1) of the workers.// By the wide alamedas (2)/ partner president/ people shall march again/ with his fighter shout.// For your life we shall fight/ for your death with courage/ we shall fight for your example/ Salvador, partner.// May the martyrdoms get over/ in your betrayed land/ may be born again the ears/ of the released land.// The unity of the whole people/ is the libertarian strenght/ we will deliver your word/ Salvador (1) of the victory.// The soldiers came/ death on the population/ they took the worker/ they put him in prison.// All the peasants/ under the landlord’s yoke/ and all the workers/ to the wall.// The snatched bread/ misery and destruction/ hunger, torture and fetters,/ guns of the opression.// Against the Chilean People/ the treason has risen/ but we shall defeat it/ there won’t be resignation.// In the miner soul/ borns the insurrection/ its haughty fist rises/ against represion.// For Chile we shall overcome/ for its liberation/ for a new homeland/ for the revolution.
Eduardo Carrasco-Quilapayún
(1) Untraslatable game of words: “salvador” –saviour- is also a proper name in Spanish.
(2) A reference to the last Allende’s discourse: a retoric figure that means “freedom”.
La Zamarra de Gustavo 