An Unfinished Song

When on Thursday September 11 in the National Concert Hall the Latin American Solidarity Committee recalls the overthrow of the democratically elected President of Chile Salvador Allende by a military coup 30 years ago, the name of Victor Jara, the legendary Chilean folk-singer, will be recalled by many.

In November 1988 I wrote in hotpress of the Plebiscite I had just witnessed in Chile that rejected Augusto Pinochet’s attempt to rig the Chilean constitution in such a fashion as would make him a dictator for life.
When I recall now the wonderful campaign that spoke of La Alegria Ya Viene, and which was so colourful, so impressive and so successful, it is of the Chilean people and the artists whose work spoke for them – such as Victor Jara, brutally murdered in the coup of 1973 – that I think.
The struggle with Pinochet after the Plebiscite of 1988, and after 15 years of his dictatorship, seems at times to have been easier for the Chilean people than their struggle with the neo-liberal school of economics to whom they have given the title Los Muchachos Chicago.
The Right wing ideological myth of the market that must come before society is harder to recognise and establishes a more sinister hegemony. The new colonization is likely to be an economic one in Latin America as much as in any other part of our world.
That is not to say of course, that military coups are over in Latin America. The recent attempt to remove President Chavez in Venezuela shows that the same economic and multi-national interests that founded a dictatorship in Chile for 15 years will seek out forces in the media and elsewhere that want to defend privilege and obstruct democracy.
Victor Jara’s companera Joan Jara in her Victor, An Unfinished Song, wrote a book of such strength as to ensure that Victor’s life in song and struggle will never be forgotten. I recall meeting her in Santiago, to which she had returned after Victor’s death, to continue her work in culture and particularly in dance.
From his work in the fields with his father to his death in the stadium, Victor Jara sang, and even more importantly listened to, the songs of the Chilean people.
From his mother Amanda Victor, Jara had originally developed a love of song when, following a horrific accident to his sister Maria, the family moved to Santiago. There, Victor was also to acquire a sense of the city and, through a series of chance encounters, an opportunity to learn music. Later he would train in the theatre, in dance and in public performance of song and poetry. His work with Violeta Parra, who regarded him as Chile’s number one folk singer, would be crucial
There followed a life devoted to the Chilean people as artist and activist. It is interesting that such little academic interest has been given to the manner in which people like Victor Jara and Pablo Neruda interpreted the demands of culture and politics.
Space only allows a few points to be made here – at any event, Joan Jara’s book, published in paperback by Jonathan Cope, is not to be missed.
By late 1972, The Washington Post was beginning to print articles about CIA. activity in Chile. Indeed mid-term elections that supported Popular Unity had led to increased covert activity and a belief that the sole role to power was through the military..
Finally, the coup took place. On the September 11, 1973 the Moneda Palace was attacked. The University was invaded and Victor Jara and others were taken to the stadium – Estado Chile – which was transformed into a centre of torture and death. In the stadium, Victor Jara was tortured and murdered, selected for special viciousness by the officer nicknamed The Prince. It was there he wrote his last poem, which included the lines:

“How hard it is to sing
when I must sing of horror.
Horror which I am living,
horror which I am dying

What I have felt and what I feel
will give birth to the moment…”

Yes, on September 11 we will remember Victor Jara and we will celebrate the importance of solidarity in the unfinished song which he and others have made into an anthem of liberation not only in Latin America, but throughout the world. See you in the Concert Hall!