Search - Victor Jara :: Canto Libre 2

Deeply moving, folk music from Chile

02/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"V'ctor Jara's honest, open style will shock American listeners at first, but this will be of considerable interest to fans of the New Song movement in Latin music, one which emphasizes respect for indigenous traditions and the plight of the less fortunate. Jara's voice is unfailingly expressive, and the accompaniment by Inti-Illimani, Quilapayun, and Patricio Castillo is in the finest Andean tradition."

Víctor, a Latin American Hero

O. M. Suarez | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 06/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes, we, the ones who love honest, meaningful Latin American music, look around seeking for another Víctor Jara among the throng. And when we can't find him, we feel more lonely. "Canto Libre" summarizes pretty well our victorious Víctor's gift to the good people struggling for justice. These are songs that he had to pay for with his own life, tortured to death one day in the soccer National Stadium in Santiago. His legacy mixes his undeniable Chilean roots and his exploration of other Latin American rythms. You may question his unique voice; however, you will eventually find out that it is that roughness that provides even more meaning to most of this collection. Víctor victorious, his musical influence pervades through not only Latin American folk songwriters but also through a number of today's Latino rock musicians. His tortured, broken, bleeding hands will still play for us in musical treasures like this one."