How did Violeta Parra collect and preserve Chilean folk music?

Violeta Parra played a pivotal role in preserving Chilean folk traditions by embarking on extensive travels throughout the country beginning in 1952. Encouraged by her brother, the poet Nicanor Parra, she traversed Chile to record the breadth of its folk music.1

This immersive experience allowed her to document diverse musical styles, which she later synthesized into her own work. Her efforts served as the foundational inspiration for the Nueva Canción movement, which utilized these traditional roots to give voice to the struggles of marginalized peoples and critique social and economic inequality in Chile.1