Cantos Cautivos

Anthem of Puchuncaví (Himno de Puchuncaví)

Music piece by:

Sergio Vesely

Testimony by:

Sergio Vesely

Experience in:

Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975

Tags:

« A few weeks before being transferred to Valparaíso Jail - where I would face a war council on account of alleged violations of the State Interior Security Law and other military regulations that existed during the state of siege - I wrote a song that I called anthem, because I wanted it to be sung as a group at the end of our cultural events on Fridays. »

[...]

« Anthem of Puchuncaví (Himno de Puchuncaví) »

« The Puchuncaví detention camp’s daily routine included mandatory participation in the ceremonies of raising and taking down the Chilean flag on the flagpole at the entrance to the camp. »

Music piece by:

Eusebio Lillo and Ramón Carnicer

Testimony by:

Boris Chornik Aberbuch

Experience in:

Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, March 1975

Tags:

[...]

« I was detained in Panguipulli on 24 September 1973, along with 17 other young people. I was a high school student. I was also working at the forestry and logging company of Huilo Huilo, which had been taken over by the working class. »

Music piece by:

Eusebio Lillo and Ramón Carnicer

Testimony by:

anonymous

Experience in:

Cárcel de Valdivia / Cárcel de Isla Teja, September 1973

Tags:

[...]

« The Puchuncaví Prisoners Camp had a daily routine similar to that of military regiments. In a ridiculous ceremony, the flag was raised every morning at dawn and then it was taken down at nightfall. »

Music piece by:

Eusebio Lillo and Ramón Carnicer

Testimony by:

Sergio Vesely

Experience in:

Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975

Tags:

[...]

« We arrived at Dawson Island on the afternoon of 11 September. All we knew was that we had been arrested in the morning - nothing else. »

Music piece by:

Eusebio Lillo and Ramón Carnicer

Testimony by:

Eduardo Ojeda

Experience in:

Campamento de Prisioneros Isla Dawson, September 1973

Tags:

[...]

Futuristic Anthem (Himno futurista)

Music piece by:

unknown

Testimony by:

Patricio Polanco

Experience in:

Campamento de Prisioneros de Pisagua, November 1973

Tags:

« In 1973 and 1974, Pisagua was characterised by the harsh and cruel treatment of political prisoners. Singing was mandatory for prisoners, who were guarded by Army platoons, and it was also a means to avoid beatings and collective mistreatment. »

[...]

« Futuristic Anthem (Himno futurista) »

Words for Julia (Palabras para Julia)

Music piece by:

José Agustín Goytisolo (lyrics) and Paco Ibáñez (music)

Testimony by:

Amelia Negrón

Experience in:

Campamento de Prisioneros, Tres Álamos, 1975 and 1976, until the closure of Tres Álamos

Tags:

« There were so many of us women prisoners. Despite the circumstances, we had managed to invent our own world, one with our rules, according to what we thought and wanted for ourselves, our families and all the Chilean people. »

[...]

« Introduction by Ana María Jiménez: 'We are going to sing a song that for us, former prisoners, has great significance. This is 'Palabras para Julia,' a song with lyrics by José Agustín Goytisolo and music by Paco Ibáñez. It speaks of strength, love, resistance, and it became the anthem of the women of Tres Álamos. With it, we greeted those who arrived and said goodbye to those who were freed. With it, we remember and want to share it with you today.' »

I Can Trust the Lord (Puedo confiar en el Señor)

Music piece by:

Unknown

Testimony by:

Sigifredo Ramos Vásquez

Experience in:

Cárcel de Temuco, September - December 1973

Tags:

« My experience during our captivity can be summed up in this personal observation. Protest songs were forbidden, so we had no other option than to sing religious songs. »

[...]

« One religious song, 'Puedo confiar en el Señor' (I Can Trust the Lord), really struck a chord among my fellow prisoners, to such an extent that it took on the character of a true battle anthem. »

We Shall Prevail (Venceremos)

Music piece by:

Claudio Iturra (lyrics) and Sergio Ortega (music)

Testimony by:

Lucía Chirinos

Experience in:

Cárcel de Mujeres Buen Pastor, La Serena, October 1973 - April 1974

Tags:

« The parish priest at Buen Pastor played the accordion. He played so beautifully. Because I played the piano, I asked him if I could borrow it. 'I'll lend it to you' he said. »

[...]

« Discreetly, I began to learn 'Venceremos', 'La Internacional', the National Anthem and the Anthem of the Police. They made us all learn the Anthem of the Police and I knew it from my dad, who was an officer. »