El veintiocho de septiembre/September 28th
¡Feliz cumpleaños a ... Victor Jara! (1932-1973) A Chilean singer, poet, and activist, Jara is one of the main figures of the Nueva Canción Chilena movement, which used music as a form of social activism. Jara was born in Lonquén, near Santiago, into a poor family. His father encouraged the children to work to help support the family rather than go to school. By the time Jara was 6, his father had turned to drinking and become violent. He abandoned the family that year. Jara's mother, on the other hand, insisted that her children get an education. She taught herself to play the guitar and piano and also sang traditional folk songs at weddings and funerals. She died when Jara was only 15, and he was left to mostly fend for himself. He earned a theater scholarship to the University of Santiago, and in 1957 he met Violeta Parra, a revolutionary folk singer in Chile who had a huge influence on him. He released his first folk album, Canto a lo humano , in 1966. His songs were a combi...