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By Mané Escobar

The legendary Chilean ensemble Inti Illimani is once again on tour, this time in their home country and in Colombia in support of a new, democratic Chile. During their 33 years, the group ('inti" means son and "illimani" is the name of the mountain that overlooks the city of La Paz, Bolivia) has visited more than 40 countries while mixing its unique blend of musical influences -- from Andes folklore to Caribbean and Afro-Peruvian -- with progressive politics and support of grassroots organizing.

Their 1970 recording, "Autores Chilenos" (Chilean Songwriters), set the standard they then followed in "Canto de Pueblos Andinos" in 1973. They were in Italy on their first European tour when the military coup d'etat that toppled Socialist President Salvador Allende's government in September took place. The lived in exile in Rome until 1988, two years before Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet relinquished power to a democratic government in 1990. Chile has yet to fully emerge from the shadow of military rule, hence the current tour in support of true democracy.

Since returning to Chile, Inti Illimani has remained among the country's most highly regarded musical acts, giving as many as 110 concerts in 1999 alone. In addition to performing with such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Pete Seeger, Mikis Theodorakis, Mercedes Sosa, John Williams, Paco Peña and Silvio Rodriguez, they participated in the Amnesty International Tour of 1988. There they collaborated with and appeared on stage with Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman and Peter Gabriel.

As artists and leftist activists, their participation in the democratic recovery has been tireless. They have achieved an usual synergy between their politics and their incorporation of many musical influences to the point that some say they have their own musical language, the Inti Illimani sound.

"Under the strong direction Horacio Salinas and songwriter Patricio Manns, we've been able to evolve continuously for 20 years despite political and emotional upheavals," Horacio Duran, one of the group's three remaining founders, says. "I think it's because we're independent and have always listened to our souls and let our music speak for itself." Reviews of Inti Illimani's most recent recording suggest it captures and extends the group's democratic, Latin American vision.

In addition to incorporating the sounds of 30 wind, chord, percussion instruments, plus their voices -- "Inti Illimani Sinfonico" (Symphonic Inti Illimani) features a quartet (saxophone, flute, violin and clarinet), as well as new ventures into romantic music and boleros.

The group is also preparing to release four anthologies of its music, decade by decade, along with a new recording of the music of Victor Jara. The latter, on June 27, will include rediscovered music Jara composed between 1967 and 1973. Jara was killed at a Santiago stadium just after the Sept. 11, 1973 military coup, and his body was found later with his hands cut off.

Their albums released since the mid-'90s include "Arriesgare la Piel" (I Will Risk my Skin, 1996), "Grandes Exitos" (Greatest Hits, 1997), "Amar de Nuevo" and "Lejania" (Loving Again and Remoteness, 1998) and "La Rosa de los Vientos" (Rose of the Winds, 1999).

Their current tour schedule is as follows. In May: 25, Concepcion, Chile; 26, Valdivia, Chile; 27, Temuco, Chile. June: 1, Cali, Colombia; 2, Medellin, Colombia; 3, Bogota, Colombia; 8, Arica, Chile; 9 Iquique, Chile; 10, Antofagasta, Chile; 11, Santiago (Teatro Municipal).

Between June 22 and 25, in Argentina and Uruguay. June 27:

Release in Santiago of the new Víctor Jara recording at the SCD (Chilean Music Rights Association) Center; June 30 in Santiago, concert to benefit hemophiliacs, Teatro Nunoa.

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