"The Inti-Illimani express a world of imagination, life, colour and natural beauty through music.
Everyone who loves music should hear and know them well (and those few people who do not yet know the
joys of music will find it in listening in Inti-Illimani). They are one of the great music ensembles of our time"..
Guitarist JOHN WILLIAMS

Inti-Illimani Histórico is one of the most interesting musical bands of Latin America. Almost 50 years since their formation in 1967, this band has experienced a musical history that has transformed them into a reference of primary importance when musical ensembles from around the world are reviewed. The great classical guitarist John Williams already referred to them in an interview during the 90’s as “ one of the great groups in any style”. Important music critics and distinguished journals and magazines have pronounced themselves about the band. In the Washington Post, for example, they were referred to in the following way: “Inti-Illimani takes us to a magical musical world. Their music is like folklore in search for a country”.

Inti-Illimani Histórico continues to delight us today with their music and songs, like as if their music was born of a common dream of the people. Guided by Horacio Salinas, their musical director since 1968 and their main composer, responsible for many of their emblematic melodies and songs, Inti-Illimani Histórico has, together with José Seves and Horacio Durán, been able to follow a creative path that still surprises us record after record with new findings. Many of their old vinyls have become milestones and decisive changes explain the long and fruitful trajectory of this band. During the seventies they released among others “Canción para matar una culebra” and “Palimpsesto”, during the eighties recordings made during their exile in Italy. In the nineties they make two records together with Paco Peña and John Williams: “Fragments of a Dream” and “Leyenda”, then “Andadas” and “Arriesgaré la piel”, and in the years between 2000 and 2012 “Esencial” and “Travesura”. These are some of the classic records marked by the three musicians: Salinas, Seves and Durán who constitute the backbone of Inti-Illimani Histórico in all times.

Inti-Illimani Histórico is touring Australia for the first time in 12 years in October 2012, proudly presented by DSM Entertainment.

Symphonic Inti-Illimani Historico
The symphonic exploration has been a very interesting part of the bands work going back to the eighties. Everything started with them taking part in Italy, Naples, at a spectacle called Cantata per Masaniello where Roberto de Simone, the distinguished Italian composer, orchestrated some of their songs. In the nineties the record “Inti- Illimani Sinfónico” was released, presenting a repertoire dressed with orchestral colours, opening a space for amazing collaborations with different and prominent orchestras from around the world. In recent times, they performed a magnificent homage to Violeta Parra and Victor Jara at the Theatre of Pompeii together with the Orchestra and Choir of the Theatre di San Carlo di Napoli. They also registered presentations together with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Chicago, the London Symphony, the Symphonica of Río de Janeiro, Vancouver, Puerto Rico, Chile, among others. Music that enables Inti-Illimani to explore new sonorities and fills the orchestras with fresh and new musical tunes.
Artistic collaborations:
Another aspect of the rich life of Inti-Illimani Histórico is the continuous musical passion and rigor that relates to diverse artistic collaborations. In their beginnings they recorded together with Victor Jara, Isabel Parra end important composers like Luis Advis and Sergio Ortega. Later on they worked with Patricio Manns toward the end of the seventies and a prolific creation of songs begins together with Salinas until today. John Williams and Paco Peña, previously mentioned, are friends with whom they continue to perform in the present. Arja Saijonmaa from Finland and the North American Holly Near recorded with them in the eighties. Peter Gabriel has been another important musician interested in the band and together they have performed a few songs. During the last ten years the collaborations with young Chilean Musicians have multiplied, some of them are Los Tres, Francisca Valenzuela, Camila Moreno, Ana Tijoux and Manuel García, as well as the talented Jazz singer Claudia Acuña.
An interesting chapter with an intense result was the participation together with Calle 13 in Chilean Stages. Here the band received the affection of Residente, who had been a follower of the legendary band. In their latest record “Travesura” they recorded together with the magical voice of Diego el Cigala. And the last chapter of these collaborations is completed with a new CD and DVD recorded together with the great afro-Peruvian singer Eva Ayllón at the beginning of 2012.

Inti-Illimani Historico Last Played

Inti-Illimani Historico Australian Tour