The Inti Illimani

The Inti Illimani is linked directly to the new song movements of the 1970s in Chile.

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The Inti-illimani is one of a few Chilean folk bands known in many parts of the world. In Italy during the 70s and 80s were very famous and this is because they were a dedicated group of very talented musicians. Italy and its people seduced them and as a result their music flourished. Millions of Italians knew their songs. Many played their Chilean and Latin American songs. Even today the new generation of Italians knows who they are because their parents played inti's music at their home.

Years ago the great Dario Fo, before he was awarded the Nobel for Literature in 1997, paid a visit to the Italian consulate in Edinburgh and I was there and knowing that I was a Chilean Dario Fo had no problem to accept my invitation to have a picture taken with him. Dario Fo knew about the atrocities of the Pinochet regime and, of course, the music of the Inti-illimani.

Dario Fo and I

The group came several times to play for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and my wife and I were always asked to help them with their concert. The band represented so much for our community of Chileans in Scotland and I got to know them well. I like them very much as they not only were fantastic musicians but because they were a bunch of very nice people.

At the J. Fairley's home
singing boleros and playing Sottish music

Scots musicians, singer Holly Near, the flamenco Spanish guitarist Paco Peña and the Australian classical guitarist John Williams did concerts together.

The Inti-Illimani demonstrated to us that after an exhausting performance there was still room for them to continue to sing "boleros" and love songs at the home of Jan Fairley, the musicologist. For me it was a real fiesta as Dave Richardson from the famous Scottish folk band The Boys of the Lough and I could join in. In some of the picture we can see John Williams enjoying himself beside Jan.

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At the J. Fairley's home
singing boleros ad playing Sottish music

My friend, the Scottish photographer Owen Logan took some of the pictures below of the Inti Illimani in one of those concert in Edinburgh in this case a long Holy Near, the American singer.