Victor Jara
| Víctor Jara | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez |
| Born |
28 September 1932 Lonquén, Chile |
| Origin | Chillán Viejo, Chile |
| Died | 16 September 1973 (aged 40) Santiago, Chile |
| Genres | Folk, Nueva canción, Andean music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer/songwriter, poet, theatre director, academic, social activist |
| Instruments | Vocals, Spanish guitar |
| Years active | 1959–1973 |
| Labels |
EMI-Odeon DICAP/Alerce Warner Music Group |
| Associated acts |
Violeta Parra, Patricio Castillo, Quilapayún, Inti-Illimani, Patricio Manns, Ángel Parra, Isabel Parra, Sergio Ortega, Pablo Neruda, Daniel Viglietti, Atahualpa Yupanqui, Joan Baez, Dean Reed, Silvio Rodríguez, Holly Near, Cornelis Vreeswijk |
| Website | FundacionVictorJara |
Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbiktoɾ ˈliðjo ˈxaɾa maɾˈtines]; 28 September 1932 – 16 September 1973) was a Chilean teacher, theater director, poet, singer-songwriter, and political activist. He developed Chilean theater by directing a broad array of works, ranging from locally produced plays to world classics, as well as the experimental work of playwrights such as Ann Jellicoe. He also played a pivotal role among neo-folkloric musicians who established the Nueva Canción Chilena (New Chilean Song) movement. This led to an uprising of new sounds in popular music during the administration of President Salvador Allende.
Jara was arrested shortly after the Chilean coup of 11 September 1973, which overthrew Allende. He was tortured during interrogations and ultimately shot dead, and his body was thrown out on the street of a shantytown in Santiago. The contrast between the themes of his songs—which focused on love, peace, and social justice—and the brutal way in which he was murdered transformed Jara into a "potent symbol of struggle for human rights and justice" for those killed during the regime of Augusto Pinochet.
In June 2016, a Florida jury found former Chilean Army officer Pedro Barrientos liable for Jara's murder.
Víctor Jara was born in 1932 in Lonquén, near Santiago, to two peasants, Manuel Jara and Amanda Martínez. His father was illiterate and encouraged his children to work from an early age to help the family survive, rather than attend school. By the age of 6, Jara was already working on the land. His father could not support the family on his earnings as a peasant at the Ruiz-Tagle estate, nor was he able to find stable work. He took to drinking and became increasingly violent. His relationship with his wife deteriorated, and he left the family to look for work when Víctor was still a child.
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