Senderos (Pathways)
There are songs from many parts of South America, including Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina and of course, Chile. These encompass traditional folk songs about life on the cotton fields (el cosechero – the harvester), melancholy love songs which encapsulate the poverty of people’s lives and their dreams (los paraguas de Buenos Aires) and songs which celebrate the joy of dance and music. There are also political songs which stemmed from a continental surge of social change, revolution and repression. Notably the opening Hasta siempre comandante, a tribute to Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s life and work and the heart rendering Las últimas palabras composed using the words of Salvador Allende’s last presidential speech before his death in 1973. An excerpt from the speech – broadcast live on radio – is included at the end of the track