Víctor Jara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Víctor Jara
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez |
| Born | 28 September 1932 San Ignacio, Chile |
| Origin | Chillán Viejo, Chile |
| Died | 16 September 1973 (aged 40) Santiago, Chile |
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| Years active | 1959–1973 |
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Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez (born September 28, 1932 – died September 16, 1973) was a famous Chilean teacher, theater director, poet, and singer-songwriter. He was also a political activist who believed in communism.
Víctor Jara helped Chilean theater grow by directing many plays. He also played a big part in a music style called Nueva canción chilena (New Chilean Song). This new music became very popular during the time of President Salvador Allende.
Jara was arrested by the Chilean military after a big event on September 11, 1973. This event was a military takeover led by Augusto Pinochet, which removed President Allende from power. Víctor Jara was questioned and then killed.
His songs were about love, peace, and social justice. Because of this, his death made him a strong symbol for human rights. He represents all those who suffered during the Pinochet government.
Years later, in June 2016, a jury in Florida found a former Chilean Army officer, Pedro Barrientos, responsible for Jara's murder. In July 2018, eight retired Chilean military officers were sentenced to prison for his murder.
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Early Life of Víctor Jara
Víctor Lidio Jara Martinez was born on September 28, 1932. His parents were farmers who rented land near La Quiriquina, a town in Chile. He had five brothers. When he was five, his family moved to Lonquén, near Santiago, Chile.
Víctor's father, Manuel Jara, could not read or write. He wanted his children to help him on the farm instead of going to school. But his mother knew how to read a little. She made sure her children learned the alphabet.
Jara's mother had Mapuche roots from southern Chile. She taught herself to play guitar and piano. She also sang traditional folk songs at local events like weddings. Later, she moved to Santiago and worked as a cook. She was very good at her job and could pay for three of her children, including Víctor, to go to school.
Víctor's mother died when he was 15 years old. After her death, he started studying accounting. But soon, he went to a seminary to study for the priesthood. After a few years, he decided the Catholic Church was not for him and left. He then spent some time in the Chilean Army. After that, he returned home to follow his interests in folk music and theater.
Víctor Jara's Music Career
Víctor Jara joined the choir at the University of Chile in Santiago. A friend from the choir convinced him to try acting. He then joined the university's theater program and earned a scholarship because of his talent. He acted in many university plays, especially those about social issues.
In 1957, he met Violeta Parra, a singer who was changing folk music in Chile. She was making new songs based on old traditions. She also created music centers called peñas to bring folk music into everyday life. Jara learned a lot from her.
He started singing with a group called Cuncumén from 1957 to 1963. With them, he explored Chile's traditional music. He was greatly inspired by the folk music of Chile and other Latin American countries. He also admired artists like Violeta Parra, Atahualpa Yupanqui, and the poet Pablo Neruda.
In the 1960s, Jara focused on folk music. He sang at La Peña de Los Parra in Santiago, which was owned by Ángel Parra. Through these activities, he became a key part of the Nueva canción (New Song) movement in Latin American folk music.
In 1966, Víctor released his first album, simply called Víctor Jara. It was his first solo work. This album was later re-released under different names. In 2001, a CD version came out with the original title and extra songs.
The album included Jara's versions of Latin American folk songs. It also had Chilean and Argentinian folk songs, and a Bolivian traditional song.
In 1967, he released his second album, also called Víctor Jara. This album included his versions of folk songs from Latin America and Spain. It was later known as Desde Lonquén hasta siempre. In 1968, Jara released his first album with another group, "Canciones folklóricas de América" (Folkloric Songs of America), with Quilapayún. In 1970, Jara left theater to focus completely on music.
Víctor Jara's Political Work
Early in his music career, Víctor Jara often upset conservative people in Chile. For example, he released a funny song called "La beata." This song was about a religious woman who had a crush on her priest. The song was banned from radio stations and removed from stores. But this controversy only made Jara more popular with young and progressive Chileans.
What worried the Chilean right wing more was Jara's growing support for the socialist movement. This movement was led by Salvador Allende. After visiting Cuba and the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, Jara joined the Communist Party of Chile. His songs often spoke about the poverty he had seen firsthand.
Jara's songs became known outside Chile and were sung by American folk artists. His popularity came not only from his songwriting but also from his amazing performances. He became more politically direct with his 1969 song "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" ("Questions About Puerto Montt"). This song was about a government official who ordered police to attack people living in the town of Puerto Montt.
The political situation in Chile became worse. After the official was killed, right-wing groups attacked Jara on one occasion.
In 1970, Jara supported Allende, who was running for president with the Popular Unity group. Jara volunteered for political work and gave free concerts. He wrote "Venceremos" ("We Will Triumph"), which became the theme song for Allende's movement. He was very happy when Allende was elected president in 1970.
After the election, Jara continued to support Allende. He played an important role in the new government's efforts to change Chilean culture. He and his wife, Joan Jara, helped organize cultural events that supported Chile's new socialist government. He set poems by Pablo Neruda to music. He performed at a ceremony honoring Neruda after Neruda won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1972. During this time, Jara also continued to teach at Chile's Technical University. His success as a musician and a communist led to a concert in Moscow.
On September 11, 1973, the Chilean military, with support from the United States, overthrew Allende's government. This led to Allende's death and Augusto Pinochet becoming dictator. On the day of the takeover, Jara was going to work at the Technical University. He stayed there that night with other teachers and students, singing to keep their spirits up.
Justice for Víctor Jara
On May 16, 2008, a retired colonel named Mario Manríquez Bravo was the first person found guilty in Jara's death. He was the chief of security at Chile Stadium during the military takeover.
On December 28, 2012, a judge in Chile ordered the arrest of eight former army officers. They were believed to be involved in Jara's murder. The judge also issued an international arrest warrant for Pedro Barrientos Núñez, who was accused of shooting Jara.
On September 4, 2013, a lawsuit was filed in a United States court against Barrientos, who lived in Florida. This lawsuit was brought by Jara's wife and children. They accused Barrientos of illegally holding Jara, treating him cruelly, and killing him without a trial.
The lawsuit claimed that on September 11, 1973, soldiers attacked the university where Jara taught. Hundreds of professors and students, including Víctor Jara, were illegally taken and moved to Chile Stadium. There, he was tortured and killed.
It was also claimed that Captain Fernando Polanco Gallardo recognized Jara at the stadium. He separated Jara from the group and beat him. During his time at the stadium, Jara was held by Lieutenant Barrientos and soldiers under his command. The lawsuit stated that Jara's detention, torture, and killing were part of a widespread attack on civilians by the Chilean Army.
On April 15, 2015, a US judge ordered Barrientos to stand trial in Florida. On June 27, 2016, he was found responsible for Jara's killing. The jury ordered him to pay Jara's family $28 million.
On July 3, 2018, eight retired Chilean military officers were sentenced to 15 years in prison for Jara's murder. They also received three extra years for kidnapping him and another person. A ninth suspect received five years for hiding the murders. In November 2018, a Chilean court ordered Barrientos to be sent back to Chile.
Víctor Jara's Theater Work
- 1959. Parecido à la Felicidad (Some Kind of Happiness), Alejandro Sieveking
- 1960. La Viuda de Apablaza (The Widow of Apablaza), Germán Luco Cruchaga
- 1960. The Mandrake, Niccolò Machiavelli
- 1961. La Madre de los Conejos (Mother Rabbit), Alejandro Sieveking
- 1962. Ánimas de Día Claro (Daylight Spirits), Alejandro Sieveking
- 1963. The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Bertolt Brecht
- 1963. Los Invasores (The Intruders), Egon Wolff
- 1963. Dúo (Duet), Raúl Ruiz
- 1963. Parecido à la Felicidad, Alejandro Sieveking (for Chilean television)
- 1965. La Remolienda, Alejandro Sieveking
- 1965. The Knack, Ann Jellicoe
- 1966. Marat/Sade, Peter Weiss
- 1966. La Casa Vieja (The Old House), Abelardo Estorino
- 1967. La Remolienda, Alejandro Sieveking
- 1967. La Viuda de Apablaza, Germán Luco Cruchaga (director)
- 1968. Entertaining Mr Sloane, Joe Orton
- 1969. Viet Rock, Megan Terry
- 1969. Antigone, Sophocles
- 1972. Directed a ballet and musical tribute to Pablo Neruda. This happened when Neruda returned to Chile after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Víctor Jara's Albums
Studio albums
- Víctor Jara (Geografía) (1966)
- Víctor Jara (1967)
- Canciones folklóricas de América (with Quilapayún) (1967)
- Pongo en tus manos abiertas (1969)
- Canto libre (1970)
- El derecho de vivir en paz (1971)
- La Población (1972)
- Canto por travesura (1973)
- Tiempos que cambian (unfinished) (Estimated release: 1974)
- Manifiesto (1974; reissued in 2001)
Live albums
- Víctor Jara en Vivo (1974)
- El Recital (1983)
- Víctor Jara en México (1996)
- Habla y canta (1996; reissued in 2001)
- En Vivo en el Aula Magna de la Universidad de Valparaíso (2003)
Compilations
- Te recuerdo, Amanda (1974)
- Presente (1975)
- Vientos Del Pueblo (1976)
- Canto Libre (1977)
- An unfinished song (1984)
- Todo Víctor Jara (1992)
- 20 Años Después (1992)
- The Rough Guide to the Music of the Andes (1996)
- Víctor Jara presente, colección "Haciendo Historia" (1997)
- Te Recuerdo, Víctor (2000)
- Antología Musical (2001)
- 1959–1969 – Víctor Jara (2001)
- Latin Essential: Victor Jara (2003)
- Colección Víctor Jara (2004)
- Víctor Jara. Serie de Oro. Grandes Exitos (2005)
Tribute albums
- A Víctor Jara by Raímon (1974)
- Het Recht om in Vrede te Leven by Cornelis Vreeswijk (1978)
- Cornelis sjunger Victor Jara: Rätten till ett eget liv by Cornelis Vreeswijk (1979)
- Konzert für Víctor Jara by various artists (1998)
- Inti-illimani interpeta a Víctor Jara by Inti-Illimani (1999)
- Quilapayún Canta a Violeta Parra, Víctor Jara y Grandes Maestros Populares by Quilapayún (2000)
- Conosci Victor Jara? by Daniele Sepe (2000)
- Tributo Rock a Víctor Jara by various artists (2001)
- Tributo a Víctor Jara by various artists (2004)
- Lonquen: Tributo a Víctor Jara by Francesca Ancarola (2005)
- Even in Exile by James Dean Bradfield (2020)
Documentaries and Films About Víctor Jara
- 1973: El Tigre Saltó y Mató, Pero Morirá…Morirá…. Director: Santiago Álvarez – Cuba
- 1974: Compañero: Víctor Jara of Chile. Directors: Stanley Foreman/Martin Smith (Documentary) – UK
- 1976: Il Pleut sur Santiago. Director: Helvio Soto – France/Bulgaria
- 1978: Ein April hat 30 Tage. Director: Gunther Scholz – East Germany
- 1978: El Cantor. Director: Dean Reed – East Germany
- 1999: El Derecho de Vivir en Paz. Director: Carmen Luz Parot – Chile
- 2001: Freedom Highway: Songs That Shaped a Century. Director: Philip King – Ireland
- 2005: La Tierra de las 1000 Músicas [Episode 6: La Protesta]. Directors: Luis Miguel González Cruz, Joaquín Luqui – Spain
- 2010: Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune Director: Kenneth Bowser
- 2019:Masacre en el estadio. Netflix
See also
In Spanish: Víctor Jara para niños
- Nueva Canción Chilena
- Estadio Victor Jara
- 2644 Victor Jara
- Brigada Victor Jara
- Galpón Víctor Jara
