Inti-Illimani recalls "the birth of the group (1967) coincided with anexplosive vivifying political atmosphere in which we discovered our LatinAmerican identity. Musicians traveled far and wide to the founts of indigenousfolklore, which in our case took us to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina.The folk songs, the sounds and rhythms of people's carnivals were like anelectric charge for us. They helped us understand the importance of music as avehicle for human expression and Andean music in particular as a pillar ofLatin American culture."
The group, which has performed with such noted artists as Pete Seeger, MercedesSosa, John Williams, Paco Pena, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman andPeter Gabriel, lived 15 years of their artistic life in political exile.Although Inti Illimani is permitted to live and work in Chile today, the group continues to tour and record - exploring and incorporating new cultures, sounds and instruments to its music, successfully blending their Latin American musical roots with thoseof other countries and cultures.
Tickets for the Inti-Illimani are $15 for adults and $5 for students. They maybe obtained by calling (315) 859-4331.