# Violeta Parra centenary tribute



## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

This year marks the centenary of the birth of the Chilean singer-songwriter (also poet and visual artist) Violeta Parra. She was pretty much the leading figure of Chilean and Latin American modern folk music and cultural life in the early to mid 20th century. She was (and is still) highly regarded in Latin America and in parts of Europe. Her voice has a beautiful, yearning perhaps slightly melancholic quality.

In 1967, at age 49 she committed suicide by shooting herself.

Here are two of her most famous songs:

The first is her most famous song: Gracias a la vida (Thanks to life) which has a rather haunting melody. It has been covered by many artists.






I swiped some of the lyrics and a translation from Wikipedia:

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
Y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo

Translated into English:

Thanks to life, which has given me so much
It gave me two bright stars that when I open them,
I perfectly distinguish the black from white
And in the sky above, her starry backdrop
And within the multitudes the man I love

The second is _Volver a los Diecisiete_ (Being Seventeen Again)


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Thank you eugeneonagain for this post. I have played the first song and others by her peers many times over. Also know some of the history, and people who spent who spent considerable in Chile back then. The music brings back a lot of memories and the songs are still moving


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

_Volver a los diecisiete_ has to be one of the most poetic folk songs ever written in any language. The great Brazilian singer/songwriter Milton Nascimento did a beautiful version of it with Mercedes Sosa on his album _Geraes_, which was released in the mid-70s (probably long since out of print). Here's a live version of the song with Milton, Mercedes Sosa, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, and Gal Costa. Judging from how young all of the Brazilians look, I'd guess that this is from some time in the early 70s.

That is a phenomenal group of singers on that stage.


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