The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #139285   Message #3214690
Posted By: SylviaN
29-Aug-11 - 03:26 PM
Thread Name: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
The song in Spanish that I sang at the concert was a Chilean lullaby called "Duerme, Duerme Negrito".

Although it wasn't from Spain, it holds a vivid memory in my lifetime me of the successful military coup in Chile and the way intelectuals and artists were murdered by the Pinochet regime, as they had been during the Spanish Civil war. My version was taken from that sung by Victor Jara, who many of you know was tortured and then murdered in the Santiago Stadium.

My other experience of a military coup was while I was living in Spain and the military staged what was to be happily unsuccessful when King Juan Carlos I ordered the soldiers back to barracks and they went. It was the most frightening few hours I have every spent, especially looking at the expressions in my friends faces who feared the worse, as there were many who wanted the coup succeed.

Keith sang "Spanish Ladies" to remember how in previous conflicts where British soldiers had been in Spain to fight, love flourished and some married and had children. When the conflict was over, they were ordered home and were not able to bring their Spanish families with them. On the return of the International Brigades to their home lands, there will have been similar partings.

Sylvia