I went down to La Universidad Catolica the other day for the first time. It's a lovely grand old building, situated right in the heart of Santiago, and the most prestigious university in Chile. While I'm sure they would have highly appreciated the imparting of my pearls of wisdom, that wasn't why I was there. I actually went to watch Belleville Rendezvous at the Micro Cine (a great little cinema open to the general public where they have regular film seasons and admission for a luca) but I got the times wrong and ended up watching another animated film about Tutankhamen and the gods of ancient Egypt.
On the way out I noticed there was an exhibition of Chilean Manga: a concept that I had been unaware of until that moment. This was the winners of a nationwide competition held to unearth Chile's finest Manga artists. I knew Manga was popular from the various Japanese-anime shops scattered around the city and from last year when I tried to go to a Manga convention at Estación Mapocho and encountered the mother of all queues. But I'd assumed it was all imported artwork so it was interesting to see the work of national artists.
The drawings and paintings followed classic Manga themes and imagery. There were countryside samurai warriors with huge swords and that zig zag hair so beloved by the genre: kinky young woman in cyber-slut outfits: cuddly but somewhat eerie-looking inflated animal caricatures: innocent school kids walking through dark and menacing landscapes: and so on.
I found the exhibition very interesting and would like to check out more Chilean Manga. I haven't been able to find on the internet most of the images I saw but there are a couple and there are also some links to portals if you're keen.
More or less the first gig I went to in Santiago (with the exception of this one manic cumbia party) was Miss Garrison in Cine Arte Alameda some time last year. It was a pretty raucous affair, great energy, decent tunes and a heady crowd lapping it up. Miss Garrison are an electro-punk three piece, with elements of hip hop and experimental sounds in their palette, who have so far released just one album but have a strong following. They are in the vain of bands like Cansai de Ser Sexy (CSS in the UK) and the Chilean band Pánico. They are also reminiscent of heroes-of-my-youth Senser, due to the intensity of their sound and the fusion of heavy guitars with sound effects and hip hop beats. They also sing in a mix of Spanish and English.
The combustible nature of their onstage performances is encapsulated in the frenetic presence of the female singer and drummer Francisca Straube, who seems to be a bit of a star on the alternative circuit. She's definitely got the punk spirit and brings a lot of charisma to the band. The other two male members, on riot guitar and effects-laden bass, bring their own styles to things and the result is a heavily energetic sonic boom of angst.
Miss Garrison opened for Crystal Castles in Chile and a quick check on Google shows me they recently embarked on their first European tour. So it looks like they could be on the up. If the band's popularity in Santiago is anything to go by, then it looks good. For not only is it a good band, it is also a cool band. And obviously that's very important in the music biz. Anyway, I've added a few youtube videos and the myspace if you're interested in checking them out some more.
Here are some pretty natty photos of the Santiago urban jungle that, whilst conveying a strong sense of industrial decay, are rather striking and contain the essence of what I am trying to achieve with this blog: namely portray the city's dark heart and its leftfield cultural identity. This is the work of Chilean photographer Catalina de la Cruz. She says of her work:
'Moving the capacity to feel some kind of fantastic, vital and unnameable pleasure, this other urban landscape unfurls through subtle details, elements decontextualised from their function and reason: images that stay suspended in me like experiences inter-sensory. Urban landscape always ephemeral, always mutating, always being determined randomly, and the infinite relation of its brief parts and fragments, the emotions and senses that are granted to every spectator´.
So you can make of that what you will. Here are the photos.
This poster in Barrio Yungay makes reference to the detonation of small homemade bombs in a number of locations in Santiago by anarchist groups opposed to the right-wing policies of the state. It reads:
SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE PERSECUTED BY THE POWERFUL
Since 2006 the anti-authoritarian offensive has included among its methods explosive devices against buildings and symbols of power. The state and press has baptised this the 'Bomb Affair'.
Having not found those responsible, the authorities have initiated a media and police campaign of persecution against comrades and spaces that publicly spread ideas of freedom. They wish to isolate and punish them in order to strike fear into the exploited, aspiring to wipe out any idea contrary to authority. The press has set a repressive stage and the new public prosecutor, Alejandro Peña, has invented the existence of an illicit organisation of bosses and soldiers, something which doesn't exist amongst those of us who abhor all forms of authority and hierarchy.
The authority that persecutes our comrades is the same that imposes miserable living conditions, that represses in Mapuche territory and all over the world, and that today wants to modify the anti-terrorism law created by Pinochet so that whatever form of social protest is brutally punished.
Their repressive acts don't surprise us but neither are we able to remain silent. Solidarity can manifest itself in many ways; criticising and disobeying all that comes from the authorities; reporting and agitating over the situation of the persecuted; but, above all, multiplying the expressions of conflict with the social order of the powerful and promoting by means of fact the ideas of freedom against all forms of authority.
Power has been, is and will be vulnerable. We affiliate solidarity and complicity as weapons against the repression of the powerful. Open your eyes and raise your voice! Tomorrow they could come for you.
Chilean satire comes in the form of The Clinic, a weekly newspaper that dissects and mocks celebrities and the political establishment and also features articles and interviews on all kinds of subjects. It takes its stance from the left and, as such, the President is an almost constant figure of ridicule. Yet its range of targets is broad, with the right-wing government of Piñera, the preceding government of the Concertación party, the Communist Party and the Catholic Church all regular recipients of scathing satirical wit. It is a very good read although much of it requires a good knowledge of Chilean society and, fundamentally, of Chilean slang. I have a good level of Spanish but parts of The Clinic are still incomprehensible. If you can get past that, you'll get a bloody good idea of what makes the country tick.
The paper was founded in 1998 and takes its name from The London Clinic, where Pinochet first stayed following his detention in London that year. Over the years, a huge array of notable Chilean writers and journalists have contributed to its pages, underlining the esteem in which the publication is held, despite its often garish style and puerile humour. Its regular columns include El Confesionario de Fray Yuyo (The Confessionary of Father Yuyo). where readers write in with details of their sins, and La Carne (The Meat), the weekly sexual exploits of a young woman of the upper classes.
However, it would be deeply unfair to imply that these are the main distinguishing features of The Clinic. In addition to the gags and lighthearted nature of various aspects, it also raises important issues and highlights social themes that are neglected by the mainstream centre-right press. With intelligent comment and analysis from its writers, The Clinic is far more than simply jokes for grown-ups.
The Clinic touches a chord with many Chilean as it focuses on the topics that affect the majority of the country: government inadequacy, unequal opportunities, the growing gap between have and have-not and so on. Whether raising these topics through a humourous or serious tone, the paper is an important counterweight against the main newspapers such as El Mercurio and La Tercera, both of which maintain conservative stances, a source of much piss-taking for The Clinic.
There is also a bar called The Clinic which is one of the coolest places in downtown Santiago and is packed out from Thursday to Sunday. It's a big old place just down from Belles Artes underground station, and spread ovr three floors. There's a lot of live music and the food is excellent. They are also generous with the measures of pisco or rum so a good thing in all.
Thirty seven years after his death, President Salvador Allende remains a symbol of hope and liberation to the Latin American left and reserves his place in history as a socialist martyr. Yet the various doubts over his death during the military coup of 11th September 1973, which saw General Pinochet take power of Chile, have resulted in today's exhumation of the ex-president's body in the hope that light will finally be shed on whether he committed suicide, as the official story goes, or was in fact murdered by the military. There are many theories over the death of Allende, with supporters and opponents alike debating over the circumstances.
After decades of uncertainty over Allende's death, a second autopsy has been ordered from which it is hoped new evidence will emerge that will establish the truth. There was only one known witness to Allende shooting himself with an AK47 and his version of events is not universally believed. The day after the coup, Allende was buried in Viña del Mar, without proper autopsy, while his widow was prevented from seeing his body. This has fueled the flames of scepticism over the official line.
In addition, while various Allendistas claim that his death was a final act of honour and nobility, others believe that he would have chosen to lead the resistance to the military coup and never would have killed himself. Others argue that he died fighting, defending Chilean sovereignty and the rights of the people to his last breath, as the bombs and bullets rained down on his presidency and the socialist democracy he had created.
The mystery of his death has remained an open wound in the rehabilitation of Chile in the twenty one years since the end of the dictatorship. It is hoped the establishment of the truth will bring closure to this dark and traumatic chapter in Chilean history. Yet it seems to me sad that this visionary and dedicated leader once again must suffer the indignity of being removed from his resting place. In 1990, he was exhumed and relocated from Viña del Mar to Santiago, where he was buried in a full state ceremony. Hopefully, after this new investigation, he will finally be allowed to rest in peace.
The story has been picked up by the international media. In the States, the Los Angeles Times has this to say:
The teargas ceasefire imposed by the government on los carabineros of Chile lasted a whole three days and has been lifted just in time for tonight's anti-Hydroaysén demonstrations in Plaza Italia in Santiago and the nationwide protests planned for tomorrow. After fears were expressed about the health effects of the chemicals in the gas, Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter announced that there would be an indefinite suspension until the results of tests were known. There must be some pretty speedy scientists working for the government.
Hinzpeter said 'Today I can say, after studies were carried out, that the teargas used by the police has no abortive effects, nor does it cause health problems. Therefore, as in many parts of the world, it can and should be used to safeguard public order during disturbances and violent demonstrations.
'From this perspective, I have met with the Director General of los Carabineros and I have let him know this conclusion and the conviction of the government. What is clear is that the teargas used by los Carabineros de Chile has a concentraion of 0.4 milligrams per cubic metre, it doesn´t cause miscarriage or damage people's health.
'Countries such as Germany, Sweden and Japan acquire it from the same interenational supplier as los Carabineros de Chile. We are facing a perfect element that is used by various police forces in various countries that doesn't have the damaging effects which some people have claimed in recent days'.
The demonstration in Plaza Italia is scheduled to start in less than an hour, and there are events all over the country tomorrow. It's going to be a foggy weekend.
The Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (widely-known by the rather wonderful acronym of MAC) is currently staging an excellent exhibition of the work of young Chilean photographers.Antología Visual de Jóvenes Fotógrafos, Chile 2010-2011 features series of photographs that deal with various social issues that affect Chile today, with particular focus given to the disadvantaged sections of society and themes such as work, family, environment, sex, violence, gender, identity and so on.
One series of photos seemingly celebrates normality with several almost identical houses shot entirely from the front, all right angles and straight lines. The initial impression is one of mundane normality. But a closer look reveals differences between the photos and the symmetry takes on a deeper meaning. There is something compelling about these photos and their implications of society's repression of individuality. Then there is the photography of Alejandro Olivares, whose subject is life in one of Santiago's poorest barrios, and an aspect of Chilean society that is alien to the vast majority of visitor´s to the MAC. Young men hold guns to the heads of puppies while painted murals celebrate the lives of their dead friends and pregnant women smoke crack. It appears a brutal world to outsiders but there is a sense of camaraderie in the photos, of togetherness, as if being neglected and forgotten by the outside world and the government strengthens the bonds of the inhabitants of the barrio.
These are just a couple of examples that stick in my mind after I went to the exhibition this afternoon in the near-deserted MAC. It was very interesting and showed me aspects of Chile with which I have yet to grow familiar. There is a good review of the exhibition here from one of my fellow writers at Revolver. I think her interpretations of the photos and their contexts are very precise:
The spirit of protest is fully awake in Chile thanks to the government approval of the controversial and unpopular Hydroaysén plant in Patagonia and the potential havoc wrecked on this incredible natural wilderness. I wrote about this a week ago and since then dissent has continued to grow with a series of official and non-official demonstrations in in Santiago and other cities. Last Friday 13th saw a massive Facebook and Twitter-organised protest in the city centre as thousands of people, mainly students, congregated in La Alameda to voice their opposition to the project. This had a large effect on the city as, by blocking Santiago´s main thoroughfare and sending the downtown into gridlock, the protesters were able to create civil disturbance through peaceful methods and raise awareness of their campaign.
Or, at least, that was the idea. Unfortunately, things once again descended into clashes between protesters and los carabineros leading to the usual rocks, teargas and water cannons coming out. That evening´s news, and that of the following morning, led with images of violent events in the heart of the city. I wasn´t at the demo but I was close and saw a young, noisy and peaceful section of the demo make its way along Paseo Huerfanos, one of the downtown´s main streets. A few minutes later I heard the teargus cannon. Whether or not this was a legitimate police response to violence and confrontation or a case of police brutality I cannot say. But last Friday night´s events have certainly been on the agenda all this week.
Chileans have not only taken to the streets in protest against Hydroaysén but also over proposed rises in tuition fees (sounds familiar) and in support of Mapuche political prisoners and hunger strikers. On many occasions, clashes with police have occurred. I wrote last week about what I feel is over-zealous policing at best and totalitarian oppression at worst so won´t rehash that blog. However, it is telling that, in the face of widespread anger and high media coverage of recent demonstrations and the authorities' response, the government yesterday announced an immediate suspension of the use of teargas at public events.
The Interior Minister, Rodrigo Hinzpeter, said that 'teargas has been used in our country for decades and the Carabineros of Chile acquire it from international suppliers who conform to the highest standards used by other countries, in order to confront situations of vandalism and public disorder'. This was basically clarification that the authorities had done nothing wrong and were legitimately entitled to gas citizens. If the likes of the United States and Israel do it, it is clearly an acceptable method of crowd control.
In spite of the government´s moral right to employ high-tech weaponry against members of the public it was announced that medical and scientific studies would be carried out to evaluate the health impact before the suspension was lifted. This followed on from the previous week´s claims by Andrei Tchernitchin, a toxicology expert in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Chile, said Israeli studies had found that exposure to teargas could cause a miscarriage within thirty minutes, and could even cause permanent damage to young children.
Hinzpeter went on to say 'I feel that the protection of our compatriots is the principal objective of our government, (and) it seems reasonable to us to suspend the use of teargas until new medical studies allow us to dispel any doubt over the employment of these gases to confront public disorder or vandalism'.
He then appealed for Saturday´s nationwide series of demonstrations against Hydroaysén to be conducted in an orderly and peaceful manner. The way these things tend to pan out, it's unlikely he'll get his wish.
In the meantime, los carabineros released a charming video explaining their continued use of teargas up until this point, in which Major Carlos Ruiz justified things by saying that the types of chemical used are 'authorised by international organisms'. Here´s the video, which features plenty of gritty footage of the police in action:
The deepest insight I´ve ever come across was from the great Frank Zappa when he said 'talking about music is like dancing about architecture'. Having written regularly about music, and found it difficult to convey sounds into words, I totally get his point. In spite of that, I have also learnt a lot about new musicians through the writings of others and hope that I can do the same here. It also helps a lot being able to attach links to Youtube, something that only came into being a long time after good old Frank left us.
Imagine a blend of Black Sabbath, Soundgarden and The Stone Roses with King Tubby on the mixing desk and you´ll have a fair idea of the sound of The Ganjas. Relative veterans of the Santiago scene after ten years of jamming together in which they´ve released five albums, this is an exceptional psychedelic garage rock band whose music is fused with blues, indy and reggae. Fuzzy guitars grind over rolling bass rhythms as they switch effortlessly from seedy rock´n´roll to heavy dub grooves and back again. Through in some great tunes (Frio Ni Calor, Let´s Go To The Beach and Sonic Redemption to name just three) and you have what for me is the finest modern rock band in Santiago.
The Ganjas have been regulars on the city´s underground scene since their first gig in 2001 and have had a relative degree of success in that time, with MTV airplay and gigs in the US, Brazil, Colombia and at 2011´s Lollopalooza in Chile. Yet the band has refused to compromise itself for further commercial appeal and is most at home in the charged atmosphere of smaller, more intimate venues (as is the case for any garage band worth its salt).
There are a lot of other good rock bands in Santiago but for me what sets The Ganjas apart is their absolute certainty in their sound and their incorporation of dub, whose rhythms offer a deep foundation for stoner rock. When done well the two styles combine perfectly, as both are heavy, bass-driven styles designed to be played at high volume (preferably in a residential area). The psychedelic swirls and effects cap it off with a flourish. If that kind of thing floats your boat you´ll love these guys.
Santiago is a different world on Sundays as most people get out of the city or spend the day indoors with the family. The streets are much quieter and emptier than on other days, most things are closed including restaurants and bars (as opposed to the popular English Sunday boozing), and, provided you´re in the right spot, there´s a real mellow feel to the place. But it can sometimes be difficult to find a new place to wander around in that aimless and leisurely Sunday style if you´re not too familiar with things and don´t want to take your stroll in San Cristobal or Parque Forestal every weekend. So what else is about?
As I may have written before, more or less my favourite part of Santiago is Barrio Brasil and neighbouring Barrio Yungay. Plaza Brasil is well-known, stages regular weekend events, and has a heady nightlife, but just a few blocks north-west lies Plaza Yungay, a lovely chilled-out place tucked away in the old part of the city. The streets round here still feature the once-grand but now-shabby houses of the old moneyed classes from the early part of the 20th Century, before they headed off to the likes of Las Condes and Vitacura. The colonial architecture, tree-lined cobbled streets, brightly-painted murals and smattering of workshops, cultural centres and local community groups gives this area a strong sense of character and local pride, evident in the attitude and conduct of the residents. Having moved here recently from sterile Providencia, I noticed straight away how many people struck up conversation with me in shops or cafes.
There is, however, a somewhat seedy reputation that attaches itself to this part of the city. I was warned about moving here as it could be dangerous at night, and there are a much higher ratio of botillerias (off-licenses) than in other parts of the city, not to mention the side-alley hotels which have rooms available to rent by the hour. Yet it is easy to avoid this side of things (although I may visit a botilleria of my own free will), and these kinds of claims are generally made by people less familiar with the area. It certainly doesn´t seem to be any worse than, say, living in Hackney or some such part of London. What does set it apart from various London barrios is that it manages to be bohemian without being bourgeoise, and the general charm and tranquility is much more appealing than in other parts of Santiago. In spite of what some people might say, it is round here that I feel most relaxed and at ease.
Owing to its history of earthquakes and then economic 'progress', the majority of 'old' Santiago is these days sadly just a memory, but photos and preserved barrios such as Yungay are testament to the fact that it was once a rather attractive city. It is definitely a place to check out and get to know more and more.
I saw a piece on the news a couple of mornings ago about this gang of transvestites who work Calle San Antonio in the city centre. The piece was saying that they were robbing drunk people at night and had footage of some middle-aged man chatting to one of them (what could he have been asking about? I wonder) before they apparently swiped his wallet and went off, leaving him stumbling around in the street. But while the news seemed to think this was actually 'news', really it's not as everyone knows about this kind of thing. I´ve only passed by las travestis of San Antonio once, as I was having dinner at the magnificent Peruvian restaurant El Aji Seco which is just a block or so along from where they hang out, but I made sure I went to a cash machine a fair distance away.
So if everyone knows about this gang, how do they get away with it so easily? I guess it has something to do with a reluctance to report to los Carabineros that you were robbed by a man in mini-skirt and high heels. 'And what exactly were you doing talking to this person drunk and at 2am, sir?' would be a difficult question to answer. The ingenuity therefore lies in making the victim into the guilty party by simple means of association.
Street-cormer transvestites have a dangerous and violent reputation and I was warned about them by Chilean friends in my first few months here. While I appreciated the concern, I´m not sure it was really necessary to warn me to avoid the six foot two men with tits the size of my head. But it´s the thought that counts.
There are cities by the sea and then there´s Valparaiso. Just an hour and a half from Santiago, it´s a beautiful place and one of my favourite cities in the world, famous for the brightly coloured houses and mazy streets that weave all over its many hills, and the rickety old lifts that take you up and down. Recognised as a place of global heritage by the United Nations, it manages to combine natural beauty with old world Latin American charm, the sleaziness of a big port, and a truly vibrant and pure art and music scene.
I´ll keep this short as I´m hoping to get over to Valparaiso in the next month or so so I´ll blog more on it then but in the meantime I came across this website that gives you a good idea of the Valpo street art scene and a taste of the city´s soul. You will never find a wall in this city that hasn´t been used as somebody´s canvas. It truly is a special place, and an artist or photographer´s dream. http://www.graffitivalparaiso.com/ It is also home to literally thousands of stray dogs and cats, all of whom seem a bit stoned.
If Arthouse and World Cinema is your bag, Santiago will serve you well with an abundance of places to go to check out independent and international films, both modern and classic. These old theatres have maintained the original appeal of cinemas, mellow vibes and tranquility instead of bombastic full sensory overload, and make a nice alternative for those who aren´t keen on being violated by Hollywood special effects or forking out half a day´s wages on popcorn and a coke. Here´s a rundown of venues to check out: Cine Arte Normandie, Tarapaca 1181 - http://www.normandie.cl/ I haven't actually been here yet but it focuses on non-mainstream films, whether Chilean, North American or from other countries. There are also gigs. Cine Arte Alameda, Avenida Libertador Bernado O'Higgins 139 - http://www.centroartealameda.cl/ Great place in central Santiago and based in the heart of things, just off Plaza Italia and the gateway to Bellavista. It´s a very well known venue and has gigs, exhibitons, cinema, launches and so on. A lot of cool kids go there. Cine Arte Tobalaba, Avenida Providencia 2563 Low-key and chilled out arthouse cinema, next door to Shoreditch-style Bar 14 and a decent sushi joint whose name I can´t remember. El Biografo, Lastarria 181 Good place for Chilean or less mainstream US films on one of Santiago´s most popular streets. Not the comfiest seats in the world but good retro charm. Matucana 100, Avenida Matucana 100 - http://www.m100.cl/index.php Absolutely one of the finest arts centres in Santiago, the cinema is just one small part of this excellent symbol of modern Santiago. Based in an old factory to the east of the centre, it features theatre, music, exhibitions, workshops, architecture, photography, dance, kid´s stuff and much more. They have regular film seasons, currently of Palestinian cinema and the complete works of Akira Kurosawa, and recent seasons of the New Wave of Asian cinema, Ingmar Bergman and Italian cinema. Films are shown Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm and at 500 pesos ($1 US or about 70p), it´s cheap as chips. Centro Cultural La Moneda, Plaza de la Ciudadanía 026 - http://www.ccplm.cl/ Although part of the Presidential Palace, this place has managed to stay free of bullshit and has numerous interesting exhibitions, while the cinema has a focus on Chilean film, in addition to regularly showing films from other countries. There are some other places as well, particularly in universities, cultural centres and national institutes. So, plenty of options.
And so, last night, Santiago was once again the scene of the police teargassing and watercannoning demonstrators in Plaza Italia and the city centre. This is a regular occurence in Chile, where it seems that most large-scale public protests seem to end with rocks thrown, heads broken and cells full. I wasn´t there last night but I´ve seen this kind of thing before, the first time being in the World Cup last year when football fans smashed up Plaza Italia following Chilean victories before again smashing up Plaza Italia following Chilean defeats. I found it Warner Brothers-esque, the way that things went round in a circle and repeated themselves. The fans overindulge and get rowdy, the police presence increases, the fans get more boisterous, the police attack, the fans run off and order is restored. Then the process started again a couple of days later. The whole thing reminded me of Wile E. Coyote and his forever backfiring attempts to catch Roadrunner.
But yesterday´s protestations and clashes were focussed on a more serious and contentious issue: the government approval of the Hydroaysén project in Patagonia in the south of Chile that will have a huge environmental impact. This will see the construction of five hydro-electric plants in some of the most pristine natural land in the country. Many opponents of the project argue that it is not necessary as the time it would take to construct the plant could be chanelled into developing alternative sources of energy. There is also the environmental impact and the potential harm likely to be caused to this region famed for its beautiful wilderness and to the communities that live there. For its part, the governent argues that by the year 2020 the project will generate around 20% of the country´s energy supply and is an important part of Chile´s future progress.
So public anger was manifested last night not only through clashes in Santiago, but also in Valparaiso and Concepción. The concept of public protest is strong in Chile, perhaps owing to the years of suppresion endured under the dictatorship that prohibited this basic right. Yet why does it so often seem to end in chaos? Is it due to, as the authorities would claim, an element of trouble-makers whose primary goal is to cause conflict and disturbance? That was clearly the case during the alcohol-fuelled World Cup disturbances, yet when it comes to serious political issues and people feeling their views are not taken into account, does it become acceptable to turn to more extreme measures of protest? And what role do the police, los carabineros, play in all of this?
Chile´s carabineros have a decent reputation by the standards of Latin American policing, probably due to military training and better salaries than in other countries that results in less corruption. But there is something unsettling about the green military uniforms and guns used by all law enforcement and it is perfectly normal to see heavily armoured police at low-key public events. It strikes me as strange that a country with such a turbulent and traumatic history under a military dictatorship still entrusts its law enforcement to military figures and there´s no denying that los carabineros look more like soldiers than police. Could it therefore be that their mere presence is enough to incite empassioned crowds?
As well as the guns, shields and helmets, there are the brutal looking vehicles, which wouldn´t seem out of place in a Mad Max film. Dark green armour-plated buses are stationed close to demonstrations or in busy late-night areas, a show of force but also an act of provocation. Then there are the famous ´guanacos´, named after the llama-like spitting animals of the Andes, with their powerful water cannons and eternal presence at public events. These machines hark of a totalitarian state and evoke a heavy sense of menace.
It is not only the image of the police force that is distasteful but also its conduct. I was in Plaza Brasil on Sunday at the Communist Party flea market (a future blog entry on its way), where locals sell old clothes or books or cakes, students promote their own comics and artwork, local musicians soundtrack the afternoon, and hordes of kids enjoy the playground. The event couldn´t be tamer and, were it not for the identity of the organisers, would be utterly ignored by the police. However, what with this being Barrio Brasil, armoured and armed carabineros wove among the families and teenagers on powerful motorbikes while a police 4x4 drove directly through the centre of the children´s play area. To say this was unnecessary would be an understatement. It would certainly never happen at a Sunday afternoon family event in upmarket and conservative Las Condes.
It is this kind of oppressive heavy-handedness that makes me suspect public disturbances such as last night´s events in Plaza Italia are not solely down to troublemakers amongst the protestors. It strikes me that the authorities are likely to provoke violence as it is this that, as in the UK, attracts the media focus and helps to diminish support for those that oppose the government. The result is lower attendances on subsequent demonstrations and the loss of public sympathy. We should remember that large parts of the Chilean, and global, media are controlled by the upper classes, those who benefit from government policies that anger the masses, and there is a high degree of collusion.
In the meantime, there is a protest against the Hydroaysén project planned for the 21st May. I´ll be there and will blog on it, provided I don´t burn my fingers from all the molotovs I´ll be carrying.
We went last night to the tenth anniversary gig of Banda Conmoción, easily one of the best Chilean bands around. It was absolutely massive, in the vast Industria Cultural in calle Cueto, by far the biggest venue I´ve been to out here in Chile and it was rammed with buena onda and celebration. There was a lot of publicity for the gig and it seemed like the whole of Santiago had turned up. We were way back from the stage but could still barely move for people dancing all around. It´s impossible not to dance with these guys.
Banda Conmoción is a cumbia orchestra, with heavy influences of Balkan gitano music, similar to Emir Kustarrica and The No Smoking Orchestra. This was the fourth time I´ve seen them and very different from the previous gigs. The last time I saw them was just before Christmas in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city, a big enough place but nothing like the Industria Cultural. To be honest I prefer the smaller venues as they give you more intimacy with the musicians and generally you get a better sound. Last night we were so far back we could barely see the band and a bit of the sound got lost covering the distance over the heads of thousands of people. But it was a pretty sensational vibe, and after ten years of wicked music you can´t begrudge them doing a massive gig for everyone. I guess as well that this was their big money-making event and that the next time they`ll be decked out with shiny new instruments.
One of my favourite bars in Santiago is Cafe Brazil, this cool rickety old place with walls plastered with posters of long-gone festivals and demonstrations, obligatory Chilean leftist iconography of Che Guevara, Victor Jara and Salvador Allende, and the scribblings of years of beatnik intellectual contemplation (to be honest I haven´t got round to reading the walls and it could just as well be Jose 4 Sonia or Diego woz 'ere although the bohemian vibe and sixties and seventies political slogans allows you to suspect such a thing). The bar is mellow, there´s live music most nights (bands, singers and spontaneous jams), cold and reasonably priced beer, healthy measures of pisco, and complimentary popcorn of the highest calibre! So, all in all, it´s a pretty swinging joint.
I guess Cafe Brazil is a bit of a local institution whose regulars have been going there for years. It started out as a smaller cafe in Plaza Brasil and became a venue for political meetings and discussion, as well as other themes, due to a lack of alternatives in the barrio. Over time the place started to get more popular with students, musicians, writers and artists, gradually developing into a centre of left-wing politics and alternative culture. It´s small size eventually became a problem and they moved around the corner to bigger premises in Avenida Cumming, in a building previously the headquarters of one-time presidential candidate for the Communist Party, Gladys Marin, and subsequently used by other affiliated political groups. It remains there today and is typical of the shabby but charming old buildings that make up this part of Santiago.
They put on a lot of decent music on most nights of the week, with Chilean folk and andina musicians very popular and welcome thanks to their intrinsic links with the left-wing political movement. There is also regular poetry, dance classes, theatre workshops and so on. It also maintains its political identity: outside in the street there is a display which documents the positive steps taken by the socialist administration of Allende to improve the lot of the people and the subsequent reversals implemented by the dictatorship. Then there´s this old boy, who I take to be the dueño (landlord), who wanders around the tables stern-faced and impeccably dressed. For me, this is what a bar should be: venue, meeting place, cultural and community centre and workshop.
There are a lot of nice bars and places to eat in this part of town but Cafe Brazil is pretty unique. It´s also my new local as I just moved in around the corner and expect I´ll be heading there regularly in the evenings. Last night there was this female group who mixed it up a bit with traditional andina songs and then some cumbia. I´m not sure what´s on this weekend but it doesn´t matter, you can just head over and pay a couple of luca on the door and there´s likely to be something interesting going on. The link to the website´s at the side of the page to the left. Definitely a good place.
Osama Bin Laden wasn't the only figure associated with violence and terror who met his maker in the last few days. The unarmed Bin Laden's apparent death came only three days after that of Enrique Arancibia Clavel, a man whose hands were heavily stained with the blood of his victims, yet whose killing received little coverage outside of Chile and Argentina. Arancibia Clavel was an agent in General Pinochet's secret police, the brutal DINA (Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional), and heavily involved in the murderous reign of terror, otherwise known as Operation Condor, that was unleashed on left-wing dissidents and sympathisers and their families in the Southern Cone in the seventies.
Operation Condor was devised and then mercilessly implemented by the Pinochet regime hand in hand with the military dictatorships of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil that ruled at the time. It was a 'clean-up' system of eradication in which death squads hunted potential opponents of the dictatorships across Latin America and even into Europe, and was responsible for the murder and disappearance of thousands of people. The cooperation between the regimes allowed prisoners to be kidnapped and transported by government agents or secret police regardless of which country they happened to be in. Working in unison, the authorities were able to exterminate swathes of opponents and cow the populace into subjugation.
One of the most famous victims of Operation Condor was General Carlos Prats, head of the army and then Chilean Vice-President under the socialist government of Salvador Allende. Following the military coup in 1973 that resulted in the death of Allende, Prats, as the dead president's staunchest supporter, went into exile in Argentina. Yet the military authorities of Chile still viewed him as a threat, a potential opposition figurehead, and in 1974 he was killed along with his wife in a car bomb in Buenos Aires.
In 2000, Arancibia Clavel was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Prats and his wife. He was also convicted in 2004 for the kidnap and torture of two Chilean women. He had originally left Chile for Argentina in 1970 following the assassination of another Chilean army general and Allende supporter, Rene Schneider, by an extreme-right militant group of which Arancibia Clavel was a member. Once in Argentina, he began to liaise with Argentinian secret police and eventually became Pinochet's contact there, playing an invaluable role in the sharing and distribution of information between the dictatorships as the tentacles of Operation Condor spread across the continent, resulting in an estimated 50,000 victims.
When the dictatorships of Chile and Argentina fell out over sovereignty of the Beagle Channel in 1978, Arancibia Clavel was arrested in Argentina and charged with espionage. He remained in prison until 2007 and, following his release, lived in Buenos Aires. In was in his apartment there that, last Thursday 28th April, he was found dead with several stab wounds. There have been no arrests and the motives behind his murder are unclear. Yet whether or not his death will bring any satisfaction to the relatives of the thousands of victims of Operation Condor is debatable.
While in the United States the death of Bin Laden has seen a wave of euphoria sweep the country, the death of Arancibia Clavel is unlikely to trigger the same effect. For despite the trauma and suffering of 9/11, the bereaved are able to find solace in knowing what happened to their loved ones, and Bin Laden's demise brings a form of closure to their grief. For the families of the disappeared of South America, the death of Enrique Arancibia Clavel is just one more unanswered question to be faced.
One of the most talented members of the new wave of Chilean folk that is growing increasingly popular on the alternative scene is Chinoy, a singer-songwriter from San Antonio, near Valparaiso. His success is well-merited and there are many things which set Chinoy apart from other musicians. There´s the incredibly distinctive voice, high-pitched and raw, and the songs that are charged with emotion and passion. He plays acoustic folk songs with the energy of punk, and sings of the land, the sea and social inequality. Chinoy´s popularity lies in his ability to channel themes that all can relate to into a sound that manages to be both frenetic and harmonious.
But this is in reference to his playing solo and acoustic. I went down to the Galpon Victor Jara in Barrio Brasil the other night to Chinoy´s gig, which this time saw the man playing with band, something I hadn´t checked out before. I saw Chinoy for the first time in in La Trova in Valparaiso last year, where his echo-in-a-chasm voice and songs created an electric atmosphere. There was a haunting beauty to the music that mesmerised the venue and nobody spoke over his performance. But the Galpon was a different vibe, with Chinoy turning out as part of a punk three-piece. Yet in spite of the heavy rhythms of his bandmates, Chinoy´s role remains more or less identical to when he jams solo. He plays the same songs and fuses them with the same energy. The fact that he is playing in a group seems to bear little relevance to him and he maintains his individual aura, standing isolated on the far side of the stage from drummer and bass player, never letting up between songs, almost as if to let up would be to lose the fire of his music. He only addresses the crowd at the beginning and end of the set. Chinoy is in his element, in his world, performing and he rides his own wave each time.
But for me, there was something lost in the transition from acoustic to punk. For a start the sound quality wasn´t the best and Chinoy´s voice seemed less-suited to this heavier sound, resulting in a great deal of the intimacy that envelops his music being lost. Lots of people were more involved in conversation with friends as Chinoy played, which never happened when I saw him in Valpo, and it was telling that only later in the set, when Chinoy reverted solo, that the crowd became truly animated and involved. Maybe it was because Chinoy saved his best songs for last but it was only once he started playing solo that the crowd sang along. He departed the stage to raucous cheers and it had been a good gig, but really I felt that the band does him a disservice. Although, if I were in his shoes, I´m sure I´d want to let rip on a heavier vibe at times.
Following on from Chinoy was La Chilombiana, an absolutely fantastic twelve or thirteen piece afro-cumbia extravaganza who really set the place alight with heavy rhythms and a pulsating latin spirit. Their influences range from afrobeat to metal, but of course the true ethos of the band is pure unabated cumbia. These guys, who I´d never seen before, were sensational and the next time they´re playing I´ll be there for sure.
The Chilean artist Eduardo Martínez Bonati has an exhibition, Vuelvo a Casa, on at Belles Artes that, if you are like me, you will find repulsive but intriguing. It is a celebration of the ugly and the grotesque and, while I would never have any of his work in my house as it would give me nightmares, it´s worth checking out as his style is bound to have an impact on anyone who sees it. Here is a recent article I wrote on Martínez Bonati for Revolver:
By the way, I haven´t blogged in the last couple of days as I was moving house and had no time. But I´m back on the case with fresh posts every day. And the new flat is wicked. In Barrio Brasil. Love it.
