The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #158418 Message #3752742
Posted By: keberoxu
22-Nov-15 - 03:50 PM
Thread Name: Inti-Illimani: one has become two
Subject: RE: Inti-Illimani: one has become two
"La cancion en el sombrero," the paperback book of memoirs by Horacio Salinas about Inti-Illimani, came out at about the same time as the interview, in Spanish, to which a link is present (thanks, Joe) in my post of October 30, at the "cancioneros" website from Spain. Only recently have I had access to a copy of Salinas' book, to compare with the online interviews, especially on the subject of Inti-Illimani splitting in two bands.
When bitter disagreements result in a lengthy legal battle, settled by a court-appointed arbitrator, as is the case with Inti-Illimani, it is telling, when looking at someone's account, to see what is left out, as much as what is disclosed.
It was a big deal, in the year 2000, when Inti-Illimani had some of their earlier recordings re-released in Chile. One of the November 1 messages on this thread made passing mention of a reunion-style concert. This took place in the Victor Jara stadium. At this point, Salinas was still in Inti-Illimani although there was already trouble brewing between him and the Coulon brothers. Max Berru had left several years earlier, and after him, Jose Seves, thus depriving Inti-Illimani of two of its strongest lead singers. Moreover, there had been a turnover of certain musicians over the years. In fact, Salinas was not Inti-Illimani's first musical director; that distinction belonged to Pedro Yanez. Then there was Ernesto Perez de Arce, who excelled at the quena, the cane flute, and was an excellent clarinet player, a trained musician whose presence made the whole musical discipline of the band raise itself; he left Inti-Illimani before the European exile.
Most, though not all, of these once-and-former Inti-Illimani musicians returned for the 2000 reunion concert in the Victor Jara stadium, and photographs exist of them onstage, wearing -- for the first time in decades -- the red ponchos of their student days.
Sadly, at this point in his narration in "La cancion en el sombrero," Horacio Salinas conceals this gala reunion, this public event, behind a veil of silence. He says nothing, that I can find -- and I have looked closely -- about the reunion concert and the highly symbolic red ponchos, the music-making with such co-founders as Max Berru of whom everyone seems fond. Salinas has plenty to say about how tense things were between him and Jorge Coulon, with whom he had already had the discussion that resulted in, "Cerremos el boliche." It was within twelve months of this landmark concert that Salinas announced that he was leaving the band, and did his last performance with the Coulon brothers, who took Inti-Illimani on tour to Italy -- by now, it was 2001 -- without Salinas.