INTI-ILLIMANI
I M A G I N A C I O N
VEB DEUTSCHE SCHALLPLATTEN BERLIN
Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR)
1988 – Elke BITTERHOF.
Even with the cold rain drumming on our window panes, the music of the group Inti-Illimani is capable of transmitting some of the sun, the heartiness and the deep feeling of the Andes country Chile. Without even knowing the origins of the individual pieces, the hearer will experience associations that, for a few moments at least, will transport him into this unknown landscape. Exactly this is the purpose of the Intis, and that is why they named the album “Imaginacion” : idea, imagination, phantasy.
The group Inti-Illimani can look back on a successful 21 year’s career. In 1967 the group was founded as student group in Santiago, and aimed from the beginning at playing a (continent)own music : so, they decided on a name that gave expression to their deep roots in their history and landscape.
“Inti” is the name of an Indian sun god, and “Illimani” is a with multiple legends surrounded 6000 meter high mountain in the Andes. From the start of the group on, they had their own style and maintained and developed it all the time. Where originally they interpreted mainly songs of other authors, this situation changed during the exile.
The predominant name on the album is that of Horacio Salinas, who with his virtuoso and creative style, composed and played different pieces. All the same, multiple styles and characteristics are revealed to the listener : the own style has been enriched by the group by using and borrowing rhythms and instruments that go back to various musical cultures.
About the conceiving of this album, the Intis confide :
For us, the necessity of creating a natural bridge to European folk music became evident. The exile has imposed it on us. Generally said, we were excited to break into this special “language”, that transmits images, environments and feelings resulting from the unending borders of the human language and its experiences. This album contains a spectrum of our musical work. You can hear samples of the music that worked for us during 18 years, such as “Longuita” from Ecuador, “Ramis” with passages from the ritual dances of Peru, “Alturas” one of the first compositions of Horacio Salinas, influenced by the Bolivian sound.
Other pieces, such as “San Juanito” or “Trigales” are witness to our deeper concern for the orchestral finishing and the developing tendency to surpass the limits that until now, we respected traditionally. And at last, the latest compositions from Horacio, that were born from the womb of the common experience of the exile : “Danza”, “La Ronda” and “Danza di Cala Luna” that is based on the typical melodies and rhythms of Sardinia.
Inti-Illimani has now become a legend for the Chileans in Chile. They are not the nice youngsters from the Technical University any more : they are riper, more interesting and clever – and so is their music.
With them, you find indeed the clear sound alliance between the 16-chord instruments, the wind instruments and the percussion. Apart from the Latin-american temperament, the genetic talent and the joy of playing, the musical virtuoso of the group became possible because at no point their development was considered a final point, but always a new beginning.
The colourful and yet homogeneous sound of the Intis gives only a faint inkling to the listener of the sustained and disciplined work that was invested over two decennia, and how much knowledge, experience, soul and nostalgia was integrated into each song.
About the beginning of this immense chore, Horacio Duran, the Charango player, recalls : First of all, I forced myself to learn to fly like a colibri with my hands, and to run like a quail with my fingers.
When listening to this album and closing one’s eyes once in a while, one can even sometimes still hear them run …
“Imaginacion” – phantasy – a good name for a good album.
Elke Bitterhof (1988)
Translation: Carlo Bullynck
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