The Latin American Music and the Jacobs Diversity and Equity Committee would like to invite you to a concert celebrating National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month. The centerpiece of this event will be a performance of Santa María de Iquique, a folk music-inspired cantata written by Chilean composer Luis Advis (1935–2004) in 1969 to commemorate the tragic events of a miner’s strike that took place in 1907.

Much like the Tulsa massacre in the United States, the events of 1907 remained hidden in plain sight for decades, only gaining public attention at a time when Chile was beginning a process of social and political reform, one that promised better worker protections, health care, the equal treatment of women, and the more equitable treatment of indigenous communities. Advis, as part of a vibrant community of artists, musicians, poets and intellectuals who supported these goals, wanted this work to be a call to solidarity, a way to learn from the sins from the past and to better strive for social justice and human rights. Tragically, only three years later many of those artists and musicians ended up persecuted, jailed and in some cases killed by a military coup that disagreed with these ideals. Nevertheless, Santa María de Iquique continued to be performed, first by Chilean musicians living in exile, and later by many others who have found this work’s powerful message of perseverance in the face of adversity relevant to their daily lives.

It is in this spirit that we bring this performance to you, in these times of global pandemics, political uncertainty, and enduring social inequality. We really hope that you can join us in Auer Hall, this Thursday September 30 at 8pm or via IUMusicLive! https://iumusiclive.music.indiana.edu/

The concert will feature Alejandra Villareal Martinez (soprano), Nathan Krishnaswami (tenor) and Laís Lara Vanin (narrator), along with students, faculty and staff from the Jacobs School of Music and other parts of the IU campus, under the direction of Lawrence Abernathy. It will also include performances of two other well-loved nueva canción pieces featuring works by folklorist and composer Violeta Parra (1917-1967) and poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973).

This free event is part of the Salón Latino Chamber Music Series and is presented by the Latin American Music Center and the Jacobs School of Music Diversity and Equity Committee, with co-sponsorship from the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.