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ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´'s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
Celebrates 45 Years with Chile's Musical Ambassadors
8 p.m., Saturday, October 13, 2012

Long considered the ambassadors of South American music, Chile's celebrates its 45th anniversary with a performance at 8 p.m., Saturday, October 13, 2012, at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´'s Inti-Illimani (pronounced Inti-E-gee-manee) has endured political upheaval, exile, and the passage of time. The eight-member group continues to evolve as a bold musical entity with influences from jazz, classical, Afro-Cuban, and Latin American music from tangos to sambas to Afro-Peruvian songs.A pre-performance discussion takes place at 7:15 p.m. with Dr. Michelle Farrell, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ assistant professor of modern languages and literatures . The tour of Inti-Illimani is made possible through Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. Additional support comes from media sponsors Venü Magazine and WPKN (89.5 FM). Tickets: $40, $30, and $25.

Inti-Illimani's music today remains closely connected to the changing character of everyday life in Latin America: its social struggles and inequalities, its search for identity, and above all its spirit. The group was started in 1967, by students at Santiago's Technical University who began performing traditional folk music, something few did back then. When Pinochet came to power in 1973, during a military coup, the group was in Italy and forced into exile for using its music to express the need for social change. They continued to record and tour and their outspoken opposition to the Pinochet regime earned them a powerful reputation around the globe as unofficial ambassadors of Chilean music. In 1988, they were unexpectedly allowed back into Chile by the same military government which had banished them. They were warmly welcomed home by the Chilean people, with 6,000 fans greeting them at the airport; their arrival was symbolic of the end of a tragic, stifling era. They soon after gave a home-coming concert, attended by 130,000 people for whom Inti's music had become a common voice, a communal place for the dispossessed as well as for the Chilean spirit. They moved home permanently in 1990, coinciding with the official resignation of Pinochet. Since 2002, Inti-Illimani has welcomed four new members, bringing a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and instrumental virtuosity to the legendary group. Focusing on their 45-year history founding member Jorge Coulon states, "What pleases me about our group today is that the creative risks are very much in keeping with our history, while opening us up to many perspectives, many possibilities."

Naming this 45th anniversary tour "La Maquina del Tiempo" (The Time Machine) in recognition of this event, Inti-Illimani will be performing songs from their historical catalog. They will also have advance copies of a forthcoming new release, also named "La Maquina del Tiempo," a 2-CD/DVD commemorative recording which will include a number of popular Chilean musical guests. Inti-Illimani's world-wide celebration tour kicked off in August in the band's hometown of Santiago, Chile, with two nights of music both old and new before capacity crowds of enthusiastic fans. After the American tour, the band will continue on to Turkey, the UK, Australia, and across South America.

"Few Latin American acts can rival this Chilean group in terms of the sheer beauty of sound," says The Los Angeles Times . "Much like a Zen affirmation, Inti-Illimani's music floats within your soul, filling it with calmness and hope." The Washington Post concurs: "An Inti-Illimani concert is a wild ride through Latin music, a whirlwind of Andean folk tunes, tangos from Argentina, Brazilian sambas, and throbbing, sobbing love songs from Mexico. Relentless virtuosity ... pure exhilaration to the very end."

The band has performed at a number of Amnesty International concerts with such artists as Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Bruce Springsteen, and received numerous awards over the years including Group of the Year (1991 & 1999) from Chile's Entertainment Journalists Association, Human Rights Award (1997) from U.C. Berkeley, the Lion of Venice Award (1990) and the Indie Acoustic Project Award (2004).

Tickets and subscriptions are available through the Quick Center Box Office: (203) 254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-ARTS-396 (1-877-278-7396). Tickets can also be purchased online at .

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located on the campus of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ at 1073 North Benson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. Entrance to the Quick Center is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Free, secure parking is available. Access for people with disabilities is available throughout the Quick Center for audience members and performers. Hearing amplification devices are available upon request at the Box Office. ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ is located off exit 22 of Interstate-95. For further information and directions, call (203) 254-4010 or 1-877-278-7396, or visit

Posted On: 09-28-2012 11:09 AM

Volume: 45 Number: 61