Cantos Cautivos

« The night of 24 March 1976, the residents of cell 198 hardly slept. We hadn’t slept on account of a long, heated discussion about the prospects of revolution in Latin America’s Southern Cone. »

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Future (Futuro)

Music piece by:

Sergio Vesely

Testimony by:

Sergio Vesely

Experience in:

« The dream of the political prisoner was to regain freedom. All of us would feel joy when one of us was about to be released from prison, although it far from easy to see a comrade depart. Even less so for those who suspected they would never enjoy that privilege. »

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Song of a Middle-Class Man (Canción de un hombre medio)

Music piece by:

Sergio Vesely

Testimony by:

Sergio Vesely

Experience in:

« In our political discussions, we always spoke disdainfully of the middle class. In the view of the Marxist ideologues in prison, that sector of society supported the dictatorship and it was necessary to reverse that trend. »

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Song of the Disappeared (Canción del desaparecido)

Music piece by:

Sergio Vesely

Testimony by:

Sergio Vesely

Experience in:

« Several of my friends and comrades disappeared after being arrested. The dictatorship denied knowledge of their whereabouts but I knew they were lying. »

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The Little Snail (El caracolito)

Music piece by:

Sergio Vesely

Testimony by:

Sergio Vesely

Experience in:

« I composed this song for a small children’s party we organised in the visitors’ yard of the Valparaíso Jail. I remember how the children had fun that day and enjoyed the play. That was the first time I put down the guitar so that a prisoner who played the accordion could accompany me. »

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Mid-Afternoon Love (Amor de media tarde)

Music piece by:

Sergio Vesely

Testimony by:

Sergio Vesely

Experience in:

« This song is dedicated to Graciela Navarro, who managed to make my prisoner's life more beautiful on the days we were allowed to receive visitors. »

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The Rain is Falling (Scende la pioggia)

Music piece by:

The Turtles ('Elenore'), with new lyrics by Gianni Morandi

Testimony by:

Eduardo René Cuevas

Experience in:

Cárcel de Los Ángeles, September 1973

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« This song was a workhorse for the prisoners. Iván Moscoso sang it, accompanied by a guitar, in a powerful and defiant voice, and the most altruistic among us sung along in the presence of the gendarme guards, in a courtyard that was only for political prisoners. »

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« Cárcel de Los Ángeles »

The Little Fence (La rejita)

Music piece by:

lyrics: collective creation; music: 'Jálame la pitita' by Luis Abanto Morales (Peruvian polka)

Testimony by:

María Cecilia Marchant Rubilar

Experience in:

Cárcel de Mujeres Buen Pastor, La Serena, September 1973 - January 1974

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« We always sang this song when we were taken to Regimiento Arica. That was a torture centre. »

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« Cárcel de Mujeres Buen Pastor, La Serena »

What Will the Holy Father Say (Qué dirá el Santo Padre)

Music piece by:

Violeta Parra

Testimony by:

María Cecilia Marchant Rubilar

Experience in:

Cárcel de Mujeres Buen Pastor, La Serena, September 1973 - January 1974

Tags:

« We sang songs that were popular at the time. We’d sing 'What will the Holy Father say', especially the part that says 'What will the Holy Father who lives in Rome say ... they are slitting the throat of his dove...' quite often, for example when someone was taken off to Regimiento Arica, which was a torture centre. »

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« Cárcel de Mujeres Buen Pastor, La Serena »

Three Mountaineers (Eran tres alpinos)

Music piece by:

Unknown. Traditional Spanish children's song

Testimony by:

María Cecilia Marchant Rubilar

Experience in:

Cárcel de Mujeres Buen Pastor, La Serena, September 1973 - January 1974

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« We adapted this song and produced a play based on it. Each of us played one of the characters. We spent a lot of time on this. »

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« Cárcel de Mujeres Buen Pastor, La Serena »