Pongo en tus manos abiertas

Pongo en tus manos abiertas ("I Put Into Your Open Hands") is the fourth studio album by Chilean singer-songwriter Víctor Jara, released in June 1969. It was the third release of the Jota Jota record label, created by the Communist Youth of Chile to publish recordings by artists of the Nueva canción chilena such as Quilapayún, who collaborated in the musical accompaniment of some songs.

Pongo en tus manos abiertas
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 1969
Recorded1969
VenueSantiago, Chile
Genre
Length41:23
LabelDICAP/Warner Records
ProducerVíctor Jara
Víctor Jara chronology
Canciones folklóricas de América
(1967)
Pongo en tus manos abiertas
(1969)
Canto libre
(1970)

For this album, he composed and sang more politicized songs than his predecessors, with some like "A Luis Emilio Recabarren" in which he pays tribute to the founder of the Communist Party of Chile or "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" in which he condemns the massacre perpetrated in that city and the Minister of the Interior, Edmundo Pérez Zujovic. It has been the most praised album of his career, being considered the fifth best Chilean album by Rolling Stone magazine.

Background

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During 1968, he visited different places in the United States, in New York, he offered a recital on a Hispanic television channel while in California, he visited the campus of the University of California, Berkeley close to San Francisco and University of California, Los Angeles. During his performances he exposed his "Marxist vision" of Latin American reality and also used a projector that allowed the audience to see the lyrics of his songs in English.[3] In England, he was invited by the British Council to carry out activities related to theater directing.[4] "Te recuerdo amanda", one of the songs on the album, was written during this time.[5][6]

Recording

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Pongo en tus manos abiertas was recorded when he returned from his works in theatrical productions in England. It contains a much more direct political proposal than that of his predecessors, which he was able to carry out without problems on the then Jota Jota label (later known as Discoteca del Cantar Popular, "DICAP").[7] It was created by the Communist Youth to grant production and dissemination spaces to groups and soloists of the Nueva canción chilena. Among the first works done on that label is X Vietnam (1968) by Chilean group Quilapayún,[8] who would participate in the recording of the album.[9] In ""Móvil" Oil Special", they embody the students who star in the song and also contribute to its Son cubano rhythm while in "A Cochabamba me voy" they provide choruses that mark their Guaracha rhythm.[7]

Composition

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Luis Emilio Recabarren, the founder of the Communist Party who is honored in the album

In this album, like his predecessors, Jara maintains the tradition of composing five of his own songs, "A Luis Emilio Recabarren" is one of them and is dedicated to the founder of the Communist Party, Luis Emilio Recabarren.[7] "A desalambrar" is a song which criticizes the labor exploitation of poor peasants by rich landowners and foreign corporations.[10] "Camilo Torres", originally titled "Cruz de Luz", is a tribute song to the Colombian priest Camilo Torres Restrepo which, like "A desalambrar" were composed by the Uruguayan singer-songwriter Daniel Viglietti.[11][12] Jara also sang the Latin American lullaby, "Duerme, duerme negrito" collected by Atahualpa Yupanqui.[13] "Juan Sin Tierra" is a tribute song to the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata written by Jorge Saldaña.[14]

"Preguntas por Puerto Montt" is a song that condemns the Massacre of Puerto Montt perpetuated on March 9, 1969, in which they died 11 men, women, and children.[15] In it, he also directly accuses the then Christian Democrat interior minister, Edmundo Pérez Zujovic for having ordered the massacre.[16] While he was performing "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" in a presentation at the Saint George school in Santiago, he was attacked and beaten by students from said establishment.[17]

In ""Móvil" Oil Special", he makes a play on words with the American oil company Mobil and Grupo Móvil, who were "feared special squads" of the Carabineros de Chile.[18] The phrase "mata tire tirun din" is a play on words with the nursery rhyme "mandan dirun dirun dan".[19] "If I Had a Hammer" written by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger was retitled "El Martillo".[7] "Zamba del "Che"" is a tribute song to the Argentine guerrilla leader Che Guevara composed in 1967 by Rubén Ortiz Fernández.[20] "Ya parte el galgo terrible" is a Sergio Ortega's composition for Pablo Neruda's play, Fulgor y muerte de Joaquin Murieta.[21] "A Cochabamba me voy" is a "greeting to the guerrillas in Bolivia."[22]

"Te recuerdo amanda" is a romantic composition and at the same time a political anthem,[23][24] it talks about the precarious working conditions of the workers and that the brief 5-minute break that this couple has at work is used to see each other.[25] The names of the characters in the song were taken directly from their parents, Amanda Martínez and Manuel Jara.[26] In his concert in Peru held on July 17, 1973, on the Peruvian television channel Panamericana Televisión, he explained that speaks of the love of two workers "from any factory, in any city, anywhere on our continent."[27][28][29] "Te recuerdo amanda" initially appeared as the b-side of the "Plegaria a un labrador" single (included in the 1971 album, El derecho de vivir en paz).[30] It has been covered by several artists including Fito Páez,[31] Joaquín Sabina, Joan Baez, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Presuntos Implicados and Boom Boom Kid.[32]

Artwork

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The album cover shows the "working hands" of Victor Jara.[33] It was photographed by Mario Guillard and designed by Vicente and Antonio Larrea.[34]

Release

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Pongo en tus manos abietas was released in June 1969 in Santiago on the Jota Jota label. Some editions released in Peru, Germany and Italy were titled Te recuerdo Amanda. The original editions were in monaural sound while later reissues were in stereo sound.[35] In March 2001 it was reissued by Warner Records with the addition of six bonus tracks.[36] In 2017, the album was reissued in vinyl format along with others by Jara such as Victor Jara (1966), El derecho de vivir en paz (1971), La Población (1972) and Manifiesto (1974).[37][38]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [39]

In retrospective reviews, Pongo en tus manos abiertas was highly praised. In Review Online, Paul Attard wrote that can be felt a "level of unity brimming on Jara's fourth studio album". He concluded by saying that "his songwriting would go on to inform folk-protest music more generally. However, what's most striking about his work are its parallels to this form, as it evolved across continents, with its stunning humanism never lost in translation."[40]

Wilson Neate wrote in AllMusic, that the album "was his masterpiece" and "a landmark in the evolution of the nueva canción". He continued stating that "Jara's music blended indigenous instrumentation and folk forms with a contemporary singer/songwriter orientation" and that "his lyrical focus on land reform, organized labor, poverty, imperialism, and race specifically addressed Chile under Frei's presidency but also engaged with a Pan-American revolutionary consciousness and a global progressive awareness."[41]

In a review of the 1974 edition, under the name Te Recuerdo Amanda, John Bush of AllMusic commented that "Jara's readings are so emotional, no knowledge of Spanish is necessary to understand his songs. There is some superficial distorsion to the material -- the result of a direct-form-phonograph transfer -- but the music is timeless."[42] In 2008, the magazine Rolling Stone considered it the fifth best Chilean album of all time.[43]

Track listing

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Side A

All tracks are written by Víctor Jara, except where indicated

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Luis Emilio Recabarren" 2:49
2."A desalambrar"Daniel Viglietti1:36
3."Duerme, duerme negrito" 2:49
4."Juan Sin Tierra"Jorge Saldaña3:09
5."Preguntas por Puerto Montt" 2:39
6.""Móvil" Oil Special" 2:46
Total length:14:28

Side B

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Camilo Torres"Viglietti3:04
2."El Martillo"2:49
3."Te tecuerdo amanda" 2:33
4."Zamba del "Che""Rubén Ortiz Fernández3:39
5."Ya parte el galgo terrible"Sergio Ortega1:50
6."A Cochabamba me voy" 2:26
Total length:16:27

2001's extended version

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Re-release from March, 2001 by Warner Records

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Plegaria a un Labrador" (a single version composed by Jara with the group Quilapayun)3:02
2."Cueca de Joaquín Murieta" 1:36
3."Tonada para guitarra" (Live at the "Peña de los Parra" of 1970.) 1:14
4."Te Recuerdo Amanda" (Live at the "Peña de los Parra" of 1970.) 3:06
5."Plegaria a un Labrador" (Live at the "Peña de los Parra" of 1970.)
  • Jara
  • Castillo
3:32
6."El arado" (Live of 1970.) 3:48
Total length:16:22

References

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  1. ^ Espinoza, Eduardo Castillo (2006). Puño y letra: movimiento social y comunicación gráfica en Chile (in Spanish). Ocho Libros Editores. p. 112. ISBN 978-956-8018-23-8. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  2. ^ Carlos, Juan (9 October 1979). "Víctor Jara". El Tiempo: 1. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Review | Víctor Jara y su paso por el "Swinging London" (I)". Rock Legacy Webzine (in Spanish). 31 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Víctor Jara, la canción de los pueblos". www.cultura.gob.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Te recuerdo Amanda". Universidad de Santiago de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  6. ^ ""Letra y Música" y el legado musical y político de Víctor Jara, a 47 años de su asesinato". ADN (in Spanish). 17 September 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d Rodríguez, Vásquez & Cruz, p. 435–436.
  8. ^ Espinoza, Eduardo Castillo (2006). Puño y letra: movimiento social y comunicación gráfica en Chile (in Spanish). Ocho Libros Editores. p. 112. ISBN 978-956-8018-23-8. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  9. ^ Palominos, Simón. Vientos del pueblo: Representaciones, recepciones e interpretaciones sobre la Nueva Canción Chilena (in Spanish). LOM Ediciones. p. 162. ISBN 978-956-00-1168-8. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  10. ^ Uche, Onyebadi (14 February 2017). Music as a Platform for Political Communication. IGI Global. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-5225-1987-4. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Víctor Jara "Camilo Torres"". www.camilovive.com. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  12. ^ "Para recordar a Daniel Viglietti". La Tempestad (in Spanish). 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  13. ^ Carreño Bolivar, Rubí. (2017). La rueda mágica (in Spanish). Santiago de Chile: Editorial Universidad Alberto Hurtado. p. 529. ISBN 978-956-357-108-0. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Víctor Jara - Juan Sin Tierra". Antiwar Songs (AWS). Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  15. ^ Jara 1983, pp. 124–125.
  16. ^ "PREGUNTAS POR PUERTO MONTT (Víctor Jara)". Revista Almiar (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  17. ^ Negrón, Miguel (2021-03-09). "El día que Víctor Jara cantó por las víctimas de Pampa Irigoin". Décima Sinfonía (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  18. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (10 November 2015). 33 revoluciones por minuto: Historia de la canción protesta (in Spanish). Malpaso Ediciones SL. p. 169. ISBN 978-84-16420-56-8. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  19. ^ Tainter, Frank (2018). ¿Eres tú?: Una historia de Lonquimay (in Spanish). Editorial Forja. p. 118. ISBN 978-956-338-420-8. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  20. ^ Tello, Judith Amador (21 July 2020). "Evocación de Rubén Ortiz y su famosa 'Zamba del Che". Proceso (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  21. ^ Iturra, Jorge Montealegre (1 January 2018). Wurlitzer: Cantantes en la memoria chilena (in Spanish). Canopus Editorial Digital Sa. p. 38. ISBN 978-956-9985-44-7. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  22. ^ García, Marisol (1 August 2013). Canción valiente (in Spanish). Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Chile. p. 97. ISBN 978-956-9339-06-6. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  23. ^ "'Te recuerdo Amanda': la voz de Jara que los verdugos no acallaron". ElNacional.cat (in Spanish). 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  24. ^ "Víctor Jara - Te recuerdo Amanda". Música callada (in European Spanish). 2014-01-31. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  25. ^ "Cuarenta y seis años de orfandad: la 'vida eterna' de Víctor Jara". lamarea.com (in Spanish). 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  26. ^ "A 48 años del asesinato de Víctor Jara: La historia de "Te recuerdo Amanda", la emblemática canción del poeta nacional". www.encancha.cl (in Spanish). 16 September 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  27. ^ Giraldo, Octavio Escobar (2013-01-01). "Son cinco minutos". Antropologia y Sociologia: Virajes (in Spanish). 15 (1): 13–19.
  28. ^ Página|12 (2019-10-22). ""Te recuerdo Amanda", la canción que sonó desde un balcón en Chile | En medio del toque de queda". PAGINA12 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-10-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ "Canto universal: las canciones que sonaron fuerte en el estallido social chileno | Culto". La Tercera. 2019-10-30. Archived from the original on 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  30. ^ "'Te recuerdo Amanda', o cómo Operación Triunfo celebró la canción protesta". Vanity Fair (in European Spanish). 22 January 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  31. ^ "Dylan, Charly y Verdi". Clarín (in Spanish). 3 December 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  32. ^ "U2, The Clash y más: La bandas y artistas extranjeros que han homenajeado a Víctor Jara". ADN (in Spanish). 8 September 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  33. ^ Carreño, Rubí (2013). Av. Independencia: Literatura, música e ideas de Chile disidente (in Spanish). Cuarto Propio. p. 14. ISBN 978-956-260-632-5. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  34. ^ Díaz, Alvaro; Lagos, Daniela; Ponce, David; Rivadeneira, Piedad (1 January 2021). Vinilo chileno: 363 carátulas (in Spanish). Hueders. p. 409. ISBN 978-956-365-215-4. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  35. ^ "Víctor Jara: Pongo en tus manos abiertas (1969)". PERRERAC (in Spanish). 29 December 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  36. ^ Liner notes that appeared on the original DICAP Pongo en tus manos abiertas release in June, 1969. "Victor Jara Discography: Pongo en tus manos abiertas... (2001)". Archived from the original on 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  37. ^ Mostrador, El (21 August 2017). "Lanzamiento reediciones de vinilos de Víctor Jara en Librería del GAM". El Mostrador (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  38. ^ Vergara, Claudio (26 August 2017). "Víctor Jara vive: reeditan sus discos en vinilo y se reabre estadio para shows". La Tercera. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  39. ^ "Pongo en Tus Manos Abiertas - Victor Jara | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  40. ^ Attard, Paul (3 July 2019). "Victor Jara | Pongo en Tus Manos Abiertas…". In Review Online. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  41. ^ "Pongo en Tus Manos Abiertas - Victor Jara | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  42. ^ Bush, John. "Victor Jara - Te Recuerdo Amanda Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  43. ^ Rojas, Fabián Nuñez (16 September 2021). "¿Estás de acuerdo? Los 10 mejores discos chilenos según Rolling Stone". Rock&Pop (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 October 2022.

Bibliography

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