One of Chile’s most celebrated and successful groups – and pioneers of ‘Folklore Andino’, a blend of traditional Andean Folk music with more modern sounds and rhythms – Illapu have had a storied career stretching back over 50 years, in turn soundtracking the fortunes of their homeland for the past half century.
Formed in 1971, in Antofagasta (Northern Chile), Illapu first achieved national acclaim in 1976 with one of their most beloved songs, “Candombe Para Jose”; but by 1980 had fallen foul of the Pinochet regime and were forced into exile. Their 1993 LP “En Estos Dias” – recorded soon after their return – went on to become one of the country’s highest selling albums ever.
This sole UK date has been made possible by Liverpool’s own LUMA CREATIONS, and forms an integral part of this year’s Chile 50 programme – marking the 50th anniversary of the military coup in Chile which saw the death of the democratically elected president, Salvador Allende, the murder of thousands of Chileans, and the forced exile of hundreds of thousands more. The leader of the coup, General Augusto Pinochet ruled Chile from 1973-1990 with an iron fist, overseeing concentration camps throughout the country and a litany of other human rights abuses. Chile 50 commemorates all those who were lost, fought or displaced and celebrates half a century of solidarity and resistance.