A thousand voices for Víctor Jara ????
Place and date: La Mercè. Avinguda de la Catedral, Barcelona (24/IX/2023)
Last September 16 marked half a century since the infamous murder of Víctor Jara in Santiago, Chile. As fair recognition of his memory and his legacy, on Sunday La Mercè hosted Mil veus per a Víctor Jara, an event blessed by a large number of spectators, and in which there was a zero line of authorities headed by President Pere Aragonese. A round proposal both for his motivation and for an approach that addressed Jara’s songbook from now and forever.
For now, which was the most substantial, five young solo voices from Chile and Catalonia were in charge, supported by an aúpa group led by Marina Alcantud and Borja Penalba. As always, the Chilean group Inti-Illimani Histérico, with veterans Horacio Durán and Horacio Salinas within it.
After the initial The right to live in peace with all the vocalists on stage, a script was developed that gave prominence to the singers, individually or as a couple, in a first section that totaled ten songs. MC Millaray’s raps in La departure gave way a little later to a Vientos del pueblo by Ana Tijoux with an elegant walk. Despite a small mistake perhaps due to nerves, Javiera Mena worked wonderfully on Luchín, a song decorated with a beautiful electronic cushion and vocal harmonies. Rusó Sala is also excellent with a Duerme negrito, reinforced with almost gospel choirs, as well as Sílvia Tomàs with the power and solemnity of A desalambrar. Between both pieces, Sala and Tomàs also gave us a remarkable Catalan version of Manifesto.
After a very brief pause, Inti-Illimani Histérico caught us with the folkloric touch of a segment that began with the instrumental Charagua to give way to one of Jara’s first songs, El lazo. And thus arrived the glorious El Pueblo Unidos, with fists raised on stage and in the audience. The thing ended with almost everyone involved in the operation performing the beautiful I remember you Amanda, alternating verses in Catalan and Spanish.
