El derecho de vivir en paz (song)

"El derecho de vivir en paz"
Single by Víctor Jara
from the album El derecho de vivir en paz
A-side"El derecho de vivir en paz"
B-side"Plegaria a un labrador"
Published1971
GenreNueva canción chilena, protest song
Length7:51
LabelJota Jota (JJS-106)[1]
Songwriter(s)Víctor Jara, Patricio Castillo[2][3]
Víctor Jara singles chronology
"Plegaria a un labrador / Te recuerdo Amanda"
(1969)
"El derecho de vivir en paz"
(1971)
"Ni chicha ni limoná / B.R.P."
(1971)

El derecho de vivir en paz (The Right to Live in Peace) is the sixth official single released by Chilean singer-songwriter Víctor Jara as a solo artist. It was written by Jara in 1969, as he worked in the "Vietrock" play by Megan Terry.[4] The song was released in 1971 by the Jota Jota label and was included in the El derecho de vivir en paz album, released later that year.

El derecho de vivir en paz is a protest song against the US intervention in the Vietnam War,[5] and is a tribute to Ho Chi Minh.[6] During its recording in the RCA Studios in Santiago,[7] several musicians collaborated,[4][8] including Patricio Castillo, Celso Garrido-Lecca, Inti Illimani and Los Blops.

It later became a symbol of protest against Chile's military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet, and an anthem for the 2019–2022 Chilean protests.[6]

It was first performed live in 1971 at the Teatro Marconi (current Teatro Nescafé de las Artes).[7]

Music

It is considered as one of the most innovative and experimental songs of Jara. The song mixes electric guitars and the Blops organ within a sound linked to folk roots.[8] The song begins with a light guitar, later summing up the rest of the instruments.[9] It also includes an electric bass and drums, unusual within Jara's previous work.[10][11]

Cover versions

Músicxs de Chile

Single cover of the Músicxs de Chile version.

Amid massive protests in Chile in October 2019, over twenty Chilean musicians formed supergroup Músicos de Chile (stylized Músicxs de Chile) and recreated the song, modifying the lyrics in order to include mentions of popular demands.[12][13][14]

The new version was an initiative of Fundación Víctor Jara and Jara's widow Joan Jara, as a response against the militarization of cities and violence committed by State forces against protesters.[15]

References

  1. ^ Discoteca del Cantar Popular. "DICAP Discography". Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  2. ^ Cancioneros.com. "El derecho de vivir en paz". Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  3. ^ Cancioneros.com. "Plegaria a un labrador". Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  4. ^ a b partitULE (1 March 2016). "Los Blops (Rock Chileno)". Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  5. ^ Aguirre, Antxon (28 July 2008). "El derecho de vivir en paz". Diario Vasco. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  6. ^ a b Simon, Scott; Wharton, Ned (2 November 2019). "'El Derecho De Vivir En Paz' Gives Voice To Protesters In Chile". NPR.org. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b Claudio Vergara (2 November 2019). "El derecho de vivir en paz: cómo se transformó en un himno eterno". Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  8. ^ a b Musicapopular.cl - Gabriela Bade. "Víctor Jara". Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  9. ^ Felipe Retamal y Alejandro Jofré (22 October 2019). "El derecho de vivir en paz: Víctor Jara, Los Blops y el toque de queda". Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  10. ^ El Arte de la Música (6 May 2007). "Analisis de Obra Musical "EL DERECHO DE VIVIR EN PAZ"". Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  11. ^ La Internacional de Allende. "Víctor Jara / Los Blops – El Derecho a vivir en paz". Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  12. ^ "30 músicos chilenos reescriben "El derecho de vivir en paz"" (in Spanish). 27 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  13. ^ "El Derecho de vivir en Paz". YouTube. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  14. ^ Rojas Yeza, S. (27 October 2019). "[VIDEO] Artistas chilenos se unen para realizar emotiva versión de "El derecho de vivir en paz"". www.t13.cl. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  15. ^ "El Derecho de Vivir en Paz (Video Oficial 2019)". YouTube. Nosotros como artistas repudiamos las acciones del gobierno al militarizar las calles, asesinar y torturar a nuestro pueblo, elevamos este canto como un genuino intento para generar cambios profundos y estructurales en nuestra sociedad.