'Viva Chile'

MS 1611/B/7 Banner Theatre - Viva Chile! / Latin America Project

Initially developed as a Banner production in 1974, 'Viva Chile!' parodied the Pinochet regime in Chile. It was staged with the assistance of Joan Jara of the Birmingham Chile Solidarity Committee. Concerts [songs and dialogue] were put on together with Inti-Illimani, a Chilean music group who had been exiled by the Pinochet regime. These performances related the experiences of Joan's husband Victor Jara, a Chilean folk singer and political activist. A supporter of the Allende regime in Chile, Jara was executed by the Pinochet regime, and his story provided a framework in which the socio-economic conditions within Chile could be explored. The historical development of the Chilean labour movement and contemporary political conditions were explored, and a mix of Chilean folk music and selections from Banner's stock of material [including 'The Big Hewer'] provided a bridge between labour movements in different continents.