Culture of Chile

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[edit] Music of Chile

Main article: Music of Chile
People dancing Cueca
People dancing Cueca
Chilean huaso singing
Chilean huaso singing
Nobel Laureate Gabriela Mistral
Nobel Laureate Gabriela Mistral

The national dance is the cueca (short for zamacueca) and first appeared in 1824. Another form of traditional Chilean song, though not a dance, is the tonada. Arising from music imported by the Spanish colonists, it is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody. In the mid-1960s native musical forms were revitalized by the Parra family with the Nueva Canción Chilena, which became associated with political activism and reformers like Chilean socialist Salvador Allende and his Popular Unity government. Violeta Parra, Víctor Jara, Los Jaivas, Inti-Illimani, Illapu and Quilapayún are performers of this music. During the military rule in the 1970s, all forms of public expression contrary to the junta were repressed, and protest songs, which were played and circulated in a clandestine manner. In the late 1980s and after the return of democracy in the 1990s, new musical bands like La Ley, Los Tres and Los Prisioneros, began to appear. (See Music of Chile.)

[edit] Chilean literature

The major novelist and short story writer of the 20th century was probably Manuel Rojas, although not as well known outside of the country. Isabel Allende, another novelist, has achieved worldwide success with her stories of magic realism in Latin America, probably reaching a larger audience than any other Chilean prose writer. Jorge Edwards, José Donoso, Miguel Serrano and Roberto Bolaño are also notable novelists. Pablo Neruda, a Nobel Prize-winning poet, is one of the most popularly read poets in the world.

[edit] Chilean mythology

Main article: Chilean mythology
Condorito circa 1955
Condorito circa 1955

The most important mythology is:

[edit] Chilean comics

[edit] Chilean cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Chile
Paila marina.
Paila marina.

Chilean cuisine combines traditional indigenous cuisines prepared by the populations living in the region of Chile such as the Mapuche and the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Further European immigration also brought with them various styles and traditions in cooking heavily influencing the cuisine of Chile such as the Italians and Germans. In the 20th century French cuisine marked an important turning point influencing culinary methods and creating a type of Criollo style that has been implemented in Chilean gastronomy. Many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by wine and Pisco. Throughout Chile each region spanning from north to south contain a variety of culinary recipes special to each location.

[edit] Film production in Chile

Domestic film production in Chile is small but dynamic, it has been steadily growing since the return of democracy in 1990 and the country now produces about 20 motion pictures annually. Important filmmakers include: Raoul Ruiz (Palomita blanca), Miguel Littin (El chacal de Nahueltoro), Silvio Caiozzi (Julio comienza en julio), Andrés Wood (Machuca)

[edit] The Politics of Memory

Having lived through the Pinochet years, many Chileans are now trying to interpret the past. Artists, journalists, and academics are involved in rethinking the Pinochet years and, indeed, in forgetting them. Writes one observer: "Memory, in a country like Chile, in a country that has survived its own massacre, is always unpleasant, and certainly, nowadays, unpopular." [1] Another overview of the art scene from 1996 concurs: "Seven years after the end of the Pinochet regime, Chilean artists tend to avoid politics. Most reveal instead either a conceptual bent or an expressionistic response to local experiences." [2] In 2004 Chilean art historian and curator Chilean Beatriz Huidobro Hott again described a relatively apolitical landscape for art in Chile [3]

[edit] Sports in Chile

The most popular and widely followed sport in Chile, and practiced by Chileans from all economic backgrounds, it is the one sport that appeals to both young and old that is the most accessible. Federación de Fútbol de Chile is the governing body of "fútbol" in Chile. Practices such as "baby fútbol" which is a street level scrimage match is played on areas made of concrete. Located throughout Chile are football stadiums such as Estadio Nacional de Chile located in Santiago and where the final of the 1962 World Cup was held.

Chile practices a host of sporting events and because of its' geographical location that is situated between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Skiing and snowboarding are done in between those two locations. With more than 4 thousand kilometers (2500 mi) of mountains, Chile is known internationally as one of the world's best skiing destinations and the best of South America. This recognition is based on the excellent quality of the slopes, a top-level infrastructure, a beautiful landscape, accessibility and proximity to urban centers. The main ski centers are located in Central Chile right in the middle of the Andes, at heights that vary from 2400 meters (7872 ft) up to 3000 meters (9840 ft) above sea level. These centers are the ones with the biggest skiing surfaces as well as the best supporting infrastructure. The centers of Southern Chile are located at lower altitudes and most of them are on volcano slopes. The scenery is normally spectacular, some passing beautiful forests and some with breathtaking panoramic views.[4]

A sport enjoyed by people around the world, and in Chile, as with everywhere, it attracts a huge following. Chile is a great destination for surfing, and from the Northern region to the Central region there are many beaches with the right conditions for the sport. You can surf practically all year round here, save for the middle of the winter (July and August) when weather conditions are non-conducive to surfing. The water temperature fluctuates between 10º and 20ºC (50º and 68ºF).

In the North, the waves are smaller, but very forceful and between Arica and Iquique, "tubes" are common. The temperature of the water fluctuates between 15º and 20ºC (59º and 68ºF). Due to the difficult conditions of the Atacama Desert, there are many unexplored, quiet beaches in this area. In the Central Region the water is a little bit colder, and there are steeper shores and bigger waves.[5]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Marc Cooper, "Twenty Five Years After Allende," The Nation, March 23 1998, pp. 11-23.
  2. ^ Ann Wilson Lloyd "In recovery - Chilean art - Report from Chile," Art in America, Oct. 1996. [1]
  3. ^ Beatriz Huidobro Hott "Chilean Art: Between Reality and Memory," ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America, Spring 2004.
  4. ^ Chile Activities : Skiing
  5. ^ Chile Activities : Skiing

[edit] External links

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Latin American culture