Sunday, March 27, 2022

Canto Libre by Victor Jara

 Twenty years or so ago, I, weary of thinking too much, for the most part quit listening to contemporary music, at least in English.  I wanted to get out of my head. I first ventured into Baroque, orchestral, or instrumental music, what might be called "world music," and eventually started to discover the folk music of South America.  It's been a rich and rewarding aural journey.  

With the war in the Ukraine weighing heavily on all our hearts, I found myself thinking of this masterful cover by Francesca Ancarola of the great Chilean artist Victor Jara's song, Canto Libre, or "Song of Freedom."  A rough English translation is provided below the video.




Free Song

Poetry is a dove
that seeks a nesting place.
It bursts and opens its wings
to fly and fly.
 
My song is a free song
that wants to give itself
to whoever holds out their hand,
to whoever wants to fire.
 
My song is a chain
with no start or end
and in each link there is11
the song of the others.
 
Let us keep singing together
to all humanity.
Song is a dove
that flies to discover.
It bursts and opens its wings
to fly and fly.
My song is a free song.



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