Testimonies

Testimonies are sorted by publication date, showing the newest first.
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Poet of Destiny (Poeta del destino)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Anexo Cárcel Capuchinos, 1976
Tags:
« This song is a tribute to Miguel Enríquez, Secretary-General of the MIR, who was gunned down by a commando of the dictatorship’s secret police on 5 October 1974. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

How Can I Describe This to You? (Cómo hacer para darte una idea)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Cárcel de Valparaíso, 1976
Tags:
« This is one of two songs I wrote in prison for my beloved Graciela. In the song I tried to draw her closer to me, describing my everyday world and my experience of life as a captive. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

Valparaíso

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Cárcel de Valparaíso, 1976
Tags:
« This song was written and sung in cell number 198 of Valparaíso’s former prison, that is to say, on the top floor of the main building, which was higher than the walls that surrounded it. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

Today Was Visitors’ Day (Hoy fue día de visitas)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Cárcel de Valparaíso, 1976
Tags:
« Visitors’ day was an exceptional day that broke the monotonous routine of all the other days of the week. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

Love Song for a Disappeared Woman (Canción de amor a una desaparecida)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975
Tags:
« Daniela was the political codename of María Cecilia Labrín, a member of the MIR. Agents of the DINA arrested her at her home on Latadía Street in Santiago in August 1974. She has never been seen again. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

Reflections (Reflexiones)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975
Tags:
« Prison forced me to think quite a lot about my political past and my total commitment to an ideological cause, and its consequences. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

Beloved Friend (Amado amigo)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975
Tags:
« This song, written in my cell at the Puchuncaví Prison Camp, speaks to a friend and fellow prisoner; it could be any one of the thousands behind bars. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

The Valley Swallow (La golondrina del valle)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975
Tags:
« One of the most amazing experiences I had during my six months in the Puchuncaví Prison Camp was to see the metamorphosis of the barbed wire fence into a huge musical score. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

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. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015

Caliche

Music piece by:
Calatambo Albarracín
Testimony by:
Luis Cifuentes Seves
Experience in:
Campamento de Prisioneros Chacabuco, December 1973 - February 1974
Tags:
« Los de Chacabuco, a band founded and conducted by Ángel Parra, arranged this song called "Caliche". It was sung several times during the Saturday shows at the Chacabuco concentration camp. At the farewell concert for Angel, Alberto Corvalán recorded it on cassette, and a subsequent LP was produced from that cassette. »
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Published on: 22 June 2015